Is this time different in Iran?

A protester flashes victory signs as traffic slows during demonstrations in Hamedan, Iran, on January 1, 2026. | Mobina/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images

On Thursday night, the Iran government cut off internet service and international calling in the country as anti-government protests broke out throughout the country. Videos that made it to social media showed large crowds marching through multiple cities and government buildings ablaze.

The most recent protests appeared to be...