People inside Iran describe heavy security in first calls to outside world

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iranians were able to call abroad with their cell phones on Tuesday for the first time since communications were disrupted during a crackdown on nationwide protests in which activists said at least 646 people were killed.

Several people in Tehran were able to call The Associated Press and speak to a reporter there. The AP bureau in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was unable to return those numbers. Witnesses said SMS text messaging was still down and Iranian internet users could connect to government-approved websites locally, but nothing abroad.

The witnesses gave a brief glimpse of life on the streets of the Iranian capital during the four-and-a-half-day world shutdown. They described seeing a strong security presence in central Tehran.

Riot police, wearing helmets and body armor, carried batons, shields, shotguns and tear gas launchers. They stood guard at the main intersections. Nearby, witnesses saw members of the all-volunteer Basij force, the Revolutionary Guards, who also carried guns and batons. Plainclothes security guards were also visible in public spaces.

Several banks and government offices were burned during the unrest, they said. ATMs were destroyed and banks struggled to carry out transactions without internet, the witnesses added.

However, stores were open, although foot traffic was low in the capital. Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, where protests began on December 28, was scheduled to open on Tuesday. However, one witness described speaking to several traders who said security forces had ordered them to reopen no matter what. Iranian state media did not recognize the order.

The witnesses spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

Many remain concerned about a possible U.S. military strike, even though President Donald Trump has said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington.

“My clients are talking about Trump’s reaction while wondering if he is considering a military strike against the Islamic Republic,” said trader Mahmoud, who only gave his first name out of security concerns. “I don’t expect Trump or any other foreign country to care about the interests of the Iranians.”

Reza, a taxi driver who also gave only his first name, said the protests also remain a concern for many.

“People – especially young people – are desperate, but they are talking about continuing the protests,” he said.

Meanwhile, security personnel were reportedly searching for Starlink terminals, as residents in northern Tehran reported that authorities were raiding apartment buildings equipped with satellite dishes. Although satellite dishes are illegal, many residents of the capital have them in their homes and authorities have largely given up on enforcing the law in recent years.

In the streets, people could also be seen challenging plainclothes security officers, who stopped passers-by at random.

State television also read a statement that mortuary and mortuary services were free – a sign that some likely charged high fees for releasing bodies amid the crackdown.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking to the Qatar-funded Al Jazeera satellite news network in an interview broadcast Monday evening, said he continued to communicate with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.

Communication “continued before and after the protests and still continues,” Araghchi said. However, “the ideas and threats proposed by Washington against our country are incompatible.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Iran’s public rhetoric diverges from private messages the administration has received from Tehran in recent days.

“I think the president has an interest in exploring these messages,” Leavitt said. “However, having said that, the president has shown that he is not afraid to resort to military options if he deems it necessary, and no one knows that better than Iran.”

Meanwhile, pro-government protesters took to the streets Monday in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television broadcast chants from the crowd, which appeared to number in the tens of thousands, shouting “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!” »

Others shouted: “Death to the enemies of God! » Iran’s attorney general warned that anyone taking part in protests would be considered an “enemy of God”, punishable by death.

Trump announced Monday that countries doing business with Iran would face 25% tariffs from the United States. Trump announced the tariffs in a social media post, saying they would go “into effect immediately.”

It was an action against Iran as part of a crackdown on protests by Trump, who believes that imposing tariffs can be a useful tool to pressure friends and foes on the world stage to bend to his will.

Brazil, China, Russia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates are among the economies that do business with Tehran.

Trump said Sunday his administration was in talks to hold a meeting with Tehran, but warned he may have to act first as reports of Iran’s death toll mount and the government continues to arrest protesters.

“I think they’re tired of being beaten by the United States,” Trump said. “Iran wants to negotiate.”

Iran, through the speaker of the country’s Parliament, warned on Sunday that the US military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if Washington used force to protect protesters.

More than 10,700 people were also arrested during the two weeks of protests, said the US news agency Human Rights Activists News, which has been reporting on unrest in recent years and gave the latest death toll on Tuesday morning. He relies on his supporters in Iran to verify the information. It said 512 of the dead were protesters and 134 were members of the security forces.

With the internet outage in Iran, it has become more difficult to assess the protests from abroad. The Associated Press was unable to independently assess the toll. The Iranian government has not provided overall casualty figures.