‘Brutal regime playbook’: Uber CEO slams Iran’s response to rising unrest

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has condemned the Iranian government's response to recent unrest, saying it's "straight out of the playbook of this brutal regime". His statement comes after a government building in Tehran was set on fire, amidst widespread protests in the country.

Khosrowshahi, who left the country during the Iranian Revolution at the age of 9, expressed solidarity with the people, stating they "deserve better".

Blaming the US and cutting off the Internet is straight out of the playbook of this brutal regime. The people of Iran deserve better. https://t.co/vPlCpvFw2F

— dara khosrowshahi (@dkhos) January 9, 2026

Reacting to a post on X about a government building inTehran set on fire, he wrote, “Blaming the US and cutting off the Internet is straight out of the playbook of this brutal regime.  The people of Iran deserve better.”

On Saturday, the Institute for the Study of War, a policy research organisation, stated that it recorded 116 protests across 22 provinces since 3:30 pm (local time) on January 8.

As per the Institute, "Twenty of these protests were large protests, which CTP-ISW defines as protests with more than 1,000 participants. CTP-ISW's protest data since its last data cutoff likely reflects only part of the protest activity that has taken place in Iran since that time, given that the internet shutdown restricts protesters' ability to publish and share videos of the protests. Some protesters have reportedly used Starlink to send reports of protests to foreign media."

MORE: @criticalthreats and ISW have recorded

116 protests across 22 provinces since 3:30 PM ET on January 8. Twenty of these protests were large protests, which CTP-ISW defines as protests with more than 1,000 participants. CTP-ISW’s protest data since its last data cutoff likely… https://t.co/twjrrmP046 pic.twitter.com/4eFZgEGq9W

— Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) January 10, 2026

In a bid to dampen the protests, the regime had also sustained the internet shutdown, but it has been going on regardless.

The Foreign Ministers of Australia, Canada and the European Union, in a joint statement, condemned the killing and arrest of protesters, lauding the bravery displayed by the citizens.

"We commend the bravery of the Iranian people as they stand up for their dignity and their fundamental right to peaceful protest. We strongly condemn the killing of protestors, the use of violence, arbitrary arrests, and intimidation tactics by the Iranian regime against its own people," it read.

On Friday, January 9, the nationwide uprising againstIran’s religious dictatorship entered its 13th day.

Originally sparked on December 28, 2025, by a sharp rise in the cost of living and a collapsing currency, the movement has evolved into widespread calls for the end of the present regime that has ruled Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

In a post on X, Nicholas Carl, research fellow at Critical Threats, said, "Protests have expanded dramatically across Iran over the past day. Scenes of hundreds of protesters across major cities have circulated despite the countrywide internet shutdown that the regime imposed.”

“Regime security forces appear to be using extreme violence across the country to end the protests...The protests have likely reached the point where they are challenging the ability of the regime to repress effectively. The security forces are seemingly facing bandwidth constraints and cannot be everywhere at once."

Update on Iran Protests (Day 13)
· Protests have expanded dramatically across Iran over the past day. Scenes of hundreds of protesters across major cities have circulated despite the countrywide internet shutdown that the regime imposed yesterday.
· Regime security forces appear…

— Nicholas Carl (@NicholasACarl) January 9, 2026

According to a TIME magazine report, a Tehran doctor who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that only six hospitals in the capital have registered at least 217 protester deaths, "most by live ammunition."

However, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has accused the US government of being behind the large-scale protests in Iran, ANI reported. Speaking at a public event, Khamenei said, "There are also those whose work is destruction. Last night in Tehran, and in some other places, a bunch of vandals came and destroyed a building belonging to their own country. For example, suppose they destroyed a certain building or a wall, just to please the President of America."