Trump, in an interview with Fox News on Thursday, suggested the supreme leader was preparing to flee Iran. The leaders of France, Germany and the UK released a joint statement on Friday night urging Iran to exercise restraint. “The Iranian authorities have the responsibility to protect their own population and must allow for the freedom of expression and peaceful assembly without fear of reprisal. “The protests that are happening in Iran of course are different from protests in other countries because of US and Israeli interventions in the protests,” he said. Authorities cut off internet access in Iran at about 8pm local time on Thursday, about the same time as Pahlavi’s call for protests.

Source: The Guardian January 09, 2026 22:45 UTC