Internet and phone lines were cut out after protests spread across Iran Thursday, following the country's exiled crown prince calling for a mass demonstration.

Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, whose fatally ill father fled Iran just before the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, said in a statement, “Great nation of Iran, the eyes of the world are upon you. Take to the streets and, as a united front, shout your demands," The Associated Press reported.

“I warn the Islamic Republic, its leader and the (Revolutionary Guard) that the world and (President Donald Trump) are closely watching you. Suppression of the people will not go unanswered.”

Protests had spread for Tehran to smaller cities and rural towns, as more markets and bazaars shut down in support of the protesters.

At least 41 people have been killed in the demonstrations that started Dec. 28, 2025, over Iran's economy, beginning with shopkeepers in Tehran's Grand Bazaar protesting the collapsing currency and soaring inflation. More than 2,270 others have been detained, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.

Internet firm CloudFlare and the advocacy group NetBlocks reported the internet outage, both attributing it to Iranian government interference. Phones could not be connected from Dubai to Iran.