Desk Correspondent , Tehran - The Iranian uprising has entered a critical and increasingly violent phase on January 12, 2026, with the nationwide death toll confirmed at 544 by human rights monitors. As the clerical regime maintains a brutal 84-hour internet blackout to mask its crackdown, the economic foundations of the state have all but vanished. The Iranian Rial has collapsed to a staggering 1.4 million per US Dollar, rendering currency "useless" and triggering a total strike in the Grand Bazaar that has now spread to all 31 provinces.

Exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi has officially declared a "new phase" of the revolution, urging citizens to occupy city centers and calling on the regular army to defect. In an emotional address, he designated state propaganda institutions as "legitimate targets" for protesters and predicted that the regime's "moment of victory" is near. Meanwhile, thousands of government supporters were mobilized in Tehran’s Enghelab Square to counter the dissent, illustrating a deeply fractured nation as security forces continue to use lethal force in residential neighborhoods under the cover of the digital blockade.

The international community is bracing for potential military escalation following President Donald Trump’s warning that he is weighing "very strong options" to stop the bloodshed. While Trump noted that Tehran has expressed a desire to "negotiate," he cautioned that he may act before any meeting takes place if the "bloody crackdown" continues. With Israel on high alert and the Pentagon briefing the President on strike options, the 16-day uprising has transformed from a domestic protest into a high-stakes global standoff that threatens to dismantle the current Iranian order.