Iran's government imposes five-day internet blackout as nationwide protests intensify, with at least 646 people killed and over 10,000 arrested during the crackdown.

While Russia and China are ready to back protest-rocked Iran under threat by US President Donald Trump, that support would diminish in the face of US military action, experts told AFP. Iran is a significant ally to the two nuclear powers,

Iran can neither protect its citizens from external threats nor provide for their basic needs. Unable to placate protesters, the regime has adopted the logic of Bashar al-Assad, its one-time ally in Syria,

Iran has deployed new techniques to swiftly and decisively crush nationwide protests, signaling a tactical shift by a regime that now views domestic dissent as an extension of the summer war with Israel.

Iran is facing one of its most serious internal crises in decades as nationwide protests intensify and turn increasingly violent. What began as demonstrations over a collapsing economy and rising cost of living has now transformed into a direct challenge to the clerical leadership that has ruled the country since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

From surveillance drones to near-total internet blackouts, Tehran is blending old repression with new technology to crush dissent at speed.

Amid widespread protests, Iran could temporarily disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz using mines, missiles, or drones, threatening global oil supplies. While a full blockade is unlikely due to US naval power,

Political analysts believe a potential US-backed regime change could shift control of Iranian oil, disrupt the supply of Shahed drones to Russia, and significantly weaken Moscow's global standing

Travellers to countries surrounding Iran have been warned about the risk of "regional conflict, missiles and drones".

A well-done show of force overawes an opponent, but a misfire signals weakness and escalates conflict — making the prospect of a strike on Iran a major challenge.

Amid the US threat of military action, Iran has said that ‘all American military centres, bases and ships in the region will be our legitimate targets’. But does Tehran have the firepower to carry out such an attack?