In the Tehranpars district of Iran’s capital, armed demonstrators confronted security forces on Friday as country-wide protests against the regime escalated into violence.

Cellphone footage shared with Iranian TV and Fox News Digital captured the intense sound of gunfire that persisted for several minutes, depicting clashes between Iran’s State Security Forces and what they referred to as “rebellious youth.”

The video reveals scenes of chaos on the streets, with individuals shouting slogans like “Death to Khamenei!” “Death to the dictator!” “Shame on you!” and “We are all together!” as they ran through the area.

In the midst of this turmoil, armed protesters faced off against police in Iran’s capital, marking an increase in the intensity of the anti-regime protests that are gripping the nation.

By Saturday, the protests had stretched into their 14th day, with the Human Rights Activists News Agency in Iran reporting a grim toll: 65 lives lost, including children, and 2,311 individuals arrested by Friday.

Authorities imposed a sweeping internet blackout this week that largely cut the country off from the outside world and escalated threats of harsh punishment while anti-regime protests spread.

A masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran’s Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest Friday in Tehran, Iran.  (UGC via AP)

The protests expanded to 190 cities in Iran by Saturday, according to the National Council of Resistance in Iran.

“By defending the demonstrators, the rebellious youths did not allow the flames of the uprising to be extinguished,” dissident politician Maryam Rajavi said in a statement. ” They have shown their determination to triumph over the regime.”

Iranian state TV shows a man holding a device to document burning vehicles during a night of mass protests in Zanjan, Iran.  (Iranian state TV via AP)

At a news conference in Washington, D.C., Friday, President Donald Trump said Iran was facing mounting pressure as unrest spreads across the country.

“Iran’s in big trouble,” Trump said. “It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago. We’re watching the situation very carefully.”

Trump warned that the U.S. would respond forcefully if the regime resorts to mass violence. 

“We’ll be hitting them very hard where it hurts. And that doesn’t mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very, very hard where it hurts,” he said.

As of Saturday, Lufthansa, flydubai, Turkish Airlines, AJet, Pegasus, Qatar Airways and Austrian Airlines had all suspended flights to Iran.