Iran warned the US that the war on Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei would be a declaration of war – after US President Donald Trump said it was a high time to look for another leadership in Iran following uproar and continuous protests.
Protests over economic hardships
The protests started in late December by the people of the younger generation and citizens of Iran over the economic hardships, restrictions, and unemployment which is widely seen as the biggest challenge to the Iranian leadership in years.
The rallies subsided after the crackdown that rights groups have called a "massacre" carried out by security forces under the cover of a communications blackout that started on January 8.
Monitor Netblocks said late Sunday that "traffic levels have fallen after a brief, heavily filtered restoration of select Google and messaging services in Iran".
US influenced protesters
The authorities said that the demonstrations were peaceful until any foreign power such as Israel and the United States influenced them.
Trump, who joined Israel's 12-day war against Iran in June, had repeatedly threatened new military action against Tehran if protesters were killed.
"The man is a sick man who should run his country properly and stop killing people," Trump said in an interview about Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday warned on X: "An attack on the great leader of our country is tantamount to a full-scale war with the Iranian nation."
As leaders in Washington and Tehran have exchanged barbs, Iranian officials have said calm has been restored in the streets.
Security forces with armoured vehicles and motorcycles were seen in central Tehran, according to AFP correspondents.
Schools reopened, social media accessible
Schools were also reopened on Sunday after weeks of closure. Pezeshkian meanwhile told a cabinet meeting that he "recommended to the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council that internet restrictions be lifted as soon as possible".
Some users reported access to WhatsApp, while outgoing international calls had resumed since Tuesday, and text messaging was restored Saturday.
