• Intending visitors advised to wait till situation improves; residents told to exercise extreme caution
• Major cities gripped by rallies as intensified crackdown feared amid internet blackout
• Reports of 65 deaths, dozens injured, 2,311 arrests
• IRGC, army vow to ‘thwart enemy’s plots’ after Trump’s shooting remarks
• UN-mandated mission says threats by third states are contrary to international law

ISLAMABAD: As Iranian authorities indicated an intensified crackdown on protesters amid a widespread communications blackout, Pakistan on Saturday advised its citizens not to travel to the neighbouring country, gripped by violent unrest.

A statement by the Foreign Office advised against all unnecessary travel to the Islamic Republic, citing safety and security concerns, until there is any improvement in the situation.

The Foreign Office spokesperson, meanwhile, advised the Pakistani nationals currently residing in Iran to exercise extreme caution, remain vigilant, minimise non-essential travel, and stay in regular contact with the Pakistani missions.

The spokesperson earlier this week said Islamabad firmly opposed any foreign interference in the domestic affairs of other countries, including Iran.

Internet blackout

Major Iranian cities were gripped overnight by new mass rallies. However, activists expressed fear that authorities were intensifying their suppression of the demonstrations under the cover of an internet blackout.

The blackout sparked fears among activists that authorities were violently cracking down on the protests, with less chance that the proof will reach the outside world. According to a report by the Iran Human Rights Activists News Agency, the death toll in the protests rose to 65, Anadolu reported.

The report added that protests took place in 512 locations in 180 cities in all 31 provinces, resulting in the deaths of 50 protesters, 14 law enforcement and security officials, and one government-affiliated civilian.

Demonstrations also left dozens injured and 2,311 detained. The injuries were largely caused by pellet shots and plastic bullets, according to the report. Authorities have not issued a statement about those killed or injured.

Protests have taken place across Iran for nearly two weeks in a movement sparked by anger over the rising cost of living, leading to authorities imposing internet restrictions. After a night of violent unrest, the Iranian authorities indicated on Saturday that they could intensify their crackdown on the biggest anti-government demonstrations in years, as the death toll rose to 65.

The Iranian army and the Revolutionary Guards blamed the unrest on terrorists, vowing to safeguard the governing system.

According to Al Jazeera, the Iranian army said it would safeguard strategic infrastructure and public property as it urged Iranians to thwart “the enemy’s plots”.

As per a statement quoted by the Doha-based outlet, the military accused Israel and “hostile terrorist groups” of seeking to “undermine the country’s public security”. The Islamic Revolut­io­nary Guard Corps, which operates separately from the army, warned that ​safeguarding ‍the 1979 revolution’s ‍achievements and the country’s security was a “red line”, the outlet reported.

Iran-US row

The protests have once again posed one of the biggest challenges to the Iranian authorities, although Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has blamed the United States for the unrest.

In a speech broadcast on state TV, he said US President Donald Trump’s hands “are stained with the blood of more than a thousand Iranians”, in apparent reference to Israel’s June war against the republic, which the US supported and joined with strikes of its own.

For his part, Mr Trump issued a new warning to Iran’s leaders on Friday, saying: “You better not start shooting because we’ll start shooting too.”

UN-mandated mission

Meanwhile, the UN-mandated independent human rights fact-finding mission on Iran has urged authorities to immediately restore internet access and halt the crackdown.

The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran said it was alarmed by reports that security forces had been ordered to carry out a decisive crackdown without restraint.

However, it also underscores that threats or acts of unilateral military intervention by third states are “contrary to international law”.

Established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2022, the fact-finding mission is mandated to investigate alleged human rights violations in Iran. Its mandate was extended in April 2025 for a further year to examine allegations of recent and ongoing human rights violations.

Later, President Trump said the US was “ready to help” as protesters in Iran faced an intensifying crackdown. “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!” Trump said in a social post on Truth Social, without elaborating.

His comments come a day after he said that Iran was in “big trouble” and again warned that he could order military strikes.

With additional input from agencies

Published in Dawn, January 11th, 2026