Iranian protests: lights in the dark, digital war, and 12,000 feared dead

For the fifth night in a row, the Iranian government enforced a blackout to obscure ongoing protests, prompting demonstrators to use their phone lights defiantly. The reported death toll varies significantly, with independent organizations citing approximately 2,500 fatalities, while some estimates suggest figures as high as 12,000. Nearly one million people have gathered in Tehran, where witnesses have noted the use of military-grade ammunition and sniper fire. Protesters chant slogans such as "Marg bar diktator," "Marg bar Khamenei," and "Javid Shah." To avoid regime manipulation, graphic videos are not shared. The government’s digital forces create traps with misleading tutorials. Music, including the Epic of Khorramshahr symphony, has become a unifying force. Families of the deceased face demands of 600 million toman (€3,500) to recover bodies. The article is authored by Pegah Moshir Pour.