For the first time since a comprehensive communication blackout was enforced by authorities amidst a brutal crackdown on anti-government protests, Iranians on Tuesday were able to make some international phone calls.

Residents of Tehran reported that calls to international numbers connected briefly. However, text messaging services remained inactive, and internet access was limited to government-sanctioned domestic websites, effectively keeping Iran isolated from the rest of the world.

This limited restoration occurred as security forces maintained a strong presence throughout central Tehran. According to residents, riot police, Revolutionary Guard units, and plainclothes officers were stationed at strategic points to suppress the ongoing unrest.

A car is seen overturned on January 8, 2026, in Tehran, Iran. (Getty Images)

Recent weeks have seen protests flare up in response to Iran’s worsening economic situation, with demonstrators increasingly demanding a change in the regime. Activist groups allege that hundreds have been killed, but verifying these claims remains challenging due to the internet shutdown and stringent state control over information.

Some government offices and financial institutions were damaged during the unrest, residents said, while merchants reported being ordered to reopen businesses despite ongoing security operations. Foot traffic remained sparse in many areas of the capital.

The unrest has drawn heightened international attention as tensions grow between Tehran and Washington. U.S. President Donald Trump has said Iran wants to negotiate with his administration following his threat to bomb the country over its response to the protests.

Fires are lit as protesters rally on January 8, 2026, in Tehran, Iran. (Getty Images)

Iran “better not start shooting, because we’ll start shooting, too,” Trump said on Friday.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera in an interview aired Monday night that he continued to communicate with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.

The communications “continued before and after the protests and are still ongoing,” Araghchi said, adding that “Washington’s proposed ideas and threats against our country are incompatible.”

Araghchi also said that Tehran is “fully prepared for war” in the event that the U.S. attacks.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that diplomacy remains Trump’s first option, but that the president “has shown he’s unafraid to use military options if and when he deems necessary, and nobody knows that better than Iran.”

“He certainly doesn’t want to see people being killed in the streets of Tehran. And unfortunately, that’s something we are seeing right now,” she added.

A masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran’s Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

Tens of thousands of pro-government demonstrators also took to the streets on Monday after days of protests challenging the rule of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!” as well as “Death to the enemies of God!”

Iran’s attorney general has warned that anyone participating in protests will be considered an “enemy of God,” a crime punishable by death.

Trump announced on Monday that countries engaging in business with Iran will face 25% tariffs that would be “effective immediately” in response to Tehran’s crackdown on protests.