At least 31 people have reportedly died in the protests over the death of Mahsa Amini after she was arrested by Iran's morality police. Internet watchdog NetBlocks confirmed on Thursday a "near total" internet ban in Tehran amid widespread protests in the country.
Oslo-based NGO Iran Human Rights also said that there have been reports of "widespread" arrests of protesters and activists across the country.
Protests in the country have intensified with reports of multiple deaths emerging. Multiple human rights organisations have called for an unbiased probe into Amini's death, with US president Joe Biden expressing solidarity with protesters.
The Iranian government has blamed outside influence for the large-scale protests that the country has seen over the past few days.
Here's a look at the latest updates:
Where were internet and social media sites restricted?
Netblocks, an organisation that maps internet shutdowns in real time, reported on Wednesday "a nation-scale loss of connectivity on MCI (First Mobile), #Iran's leading mobile operator, and Rightel".
Netblocks said that there was a "telecommunications blackout" around Sanandaj, the capital of the Kurdistan province in Iran. There had also been partial disruption to internet connectivity around Tehran. "Instagram and WhatsApp, two of the last remaining international platforms in Iran have subsequently been restricted nationally as of Wednesday 21 September, followed by a nation-scale shutdown of mobile networks," the report said.
Social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook have been banned in Iran for years.
Two people present in Iran told Al Jazeera that they could only communicate through text on WhatsApp but were unable to send photos. 17
How many people have died in protests?
Accoring to AFP, Iran's state television said on Thursday that 17 people had died during the protests in the country that have intensified over the last two days.
The death toll included both protesters and security forces, according to the government.
What has happened since the protests first began?
Reports from Iran suggest that more and more people of all ages have come out on the streets to participate in the protests. Photos and videos that have been circulated on social media, despite the internet restrictions, show women walking on the streets without their hijabs.
Women of all ages have been seen waving their hijabs over their heads in defiance of the laws of the country.
Iranian activist Masih Alinejad tweeted a video of a woman from Saghez, where Mahsa Amini was born. The video shows a woman walking on the street, waving her hijab in the air. "The government filtered Instagram, restricting internet & killing people in the streets but they cannot kill our hope and our dreams," Alinejad said as she shared the video.
Iranian scholar Alireza Nader tweeted a video from Iran, believed to be the city of Gorgon, where a woman danced near a fire before throwing her hijab into it.
Yasher Ali, who is a contributor to New York Magazine and Huffpost wrote that more and more older people have come out to protest, even though the older generation is skeptical. He tweeted the video of an old woman waving her hijab raising slogans of "down with Khameinei".
What have human rights organisations said?
Human rights organisations have called on Iran to carry out impartial probes into the death of Amini. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif said she was alarmed by the news of the death. Al-Nashif said, "Mahsa Amini's tragic death and allegations of torture and ill-treatment must be promptly, impartially and effectively investigated by an independent competent authority, that ensures, in particular, that her family has access to justice and truth."
Iran president Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi was at the UN headquarters in Iran when the protests began.
Amnesty International urged world leaders gathered in New York to ensure international action against Iran over Amini's death and crackdown on protesters.
"Amnesty has gathered evidence of the security forces' unlawful use of birdshot and other metal pellets, teargas, water cannon and beatings with batons to disperse protesters who have gathered in numerous towns and cities in response to Amini's death," their statement read.
What has been Iran's reaction?
Iran has blamed the protests on outside forces. The New York Times reported Tehran governor Mohsen Mansouri as saying the demonstrations had been hijacked by "foreign agents".
