(Jewish Voice News) Iran is once again teetering on the edge of chaos, with a sweeping nationwide internet shutdown intensifying fears that the regime is preparing a brutal crackdown on protesters, as The Sun reported. The unrest has exposed the fragility of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s grip on power, as demonstrations rage on for a second straight week across the country.

 US president Donald Trump warned that the United States “will get involved” if Tehran responds to the unrest with mass violence. He cautioned that any attempt by the mullah regime to gun down demonstrators would trigger a harsh response from Washington.

At least 65 people — including nine children — have reportedly been killed since protests erupted on December 28, marking the most serious internal challenge the Islamic Republic has faced in years, according to figures cited by The Sun. More than 2,300 demonstrators have also been arrested as unrest entered its 14th day.

Chants of “Death to Khamenei!” echoed through the streets on Friday as protesters flooded cities and towns nationwide. Hundreds of locations, including Tehran, have descended into disorder, with dramatic footage showing burning vehicles, torched streets, and crowds vandalizing government-linked buildings.

Authorities have struggled to contain the fury. Security forces deployed tear gas to disperse massive crowds, while the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported gunfire in multiple areas, The Sun reported.

Iran’s prosecutor-general Mohammad Movahedi Azad escalated tensions further by threatening protesters with execution, declaring that those involved would be charged as “enemies of God.” Tehran’s chief prosecutor Ali Salehi echoed the threat, warning that vandals could face the death penalty.

Meanwhile, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has been placed on its highest alert level, with officials activating so-called “missile cities” — underground complexes housing ballistic weapons — a move that has alarmed international observers, according to The Sun.

On Friday, Trump said Iran was in “big trouble,” vowing US intervention if protesters were killed. “If they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved,” he said. “We’ll be hitting them very hard where it hurts.” He added a blunt warning: “You better not start shooting, because we’ll start shooting too.”

As unrest spread, Iran’s army urged citizens to stay vigilant against what it described as “enemy plots,” attempting to shift blame toward foreign powers, including the US.

The regime has also cut off internet access nationwide, plunging Iran into near-total digital darkness. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi warned that the blackout could be a deliberate strategy to hide mass bloodshed, saying the government may be planning a “massacre under the cover of a sweeping communications blackout,” as The Sun reported.

Medical workers inside Iran say hospitals are overwhelmed. Doctors described facilities operating in crisis mode, with surging numbers of injured protesters, according to reports cited by the BBC.

International leaders weighed in as well. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer joined French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in calling on Iranian authorities to protect civilians and respect freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

In a defiant televised address, Khamenei insisted the Islamic Republic would not back down, accusing the US of inciting unrest and labeling protesters as “vandals” and “saboteurs.”

Trump has also suggested that the Supreme Leader may be seeking an escape route, possibly with help from Russian President Vladimir Putin. “He’s looking to go some place,” Trump said.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced support for demonstrators, declaring: “The United States supports the brave people of Iran.”

Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah, called for renewed nationwide protests and a general strike, urging Iranians to return to the streets over the weekend to further pressure the regime.

The demonstrations, which began in Tehran, have now spread to nearly 300 cities and towns. They come after years of crushing sanctions, economic collapse, and hyperinflation — conditions worsened by last summer’s 12-day war with Israel and the US.

The unrest is the most serious threat to Khamenei since mass protests in 2022 and 2023 following the death of Mahsa Amini in custody. But with the economy in free fall and public anger boiling over, many believe the regime now faces its gravest danger yet, as The Sun reported.