A person saying she was inside Iran was able to share disturbing details about what is taking place inside the country as the dictatorial regime cracks down on protests across the country.

The insider was able to connect with Elina Shirazi, a senior political correspondent at the Daily Mail, over text during a gap in the countrywide internet blackout enforced by the Iranian government. During the brief exchange, the insider described troubling developments on the crackdown and protesters’ hope for international assistance in their struggle against the regime.

Since the regime crackdown on protesters began in earnest late last week, estimates of the death toll have ranged from hundreds to thousands. One text from the insider suggests that the real number is somewhere in the thousands.

“At least 1k only in tehran [sic],” the insider said. “Dead.”

“100 people [dead] in Shahrak Karevan in Afsarie area,” the insider added.

The hope of the protesters lies in “US and Israel intervention,” the insider said. “Without them we cannot succeed.”

“We need foreign power intervention. Institutions like [the] UN [have] proved to be useless doing nothing at [these] important moments in totalitarian countries like Iran. It has been [the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp’s] custom. People protest. IRGC shut down the internet and start mass killing,” the insider continued.

“US intervention is not another act of imperialism! Iranian people want to call the police. … There are people shot dead!” other messages said. “We cannot do it alone and without weapons against a regime that has shown no shame [in] mass killing its Iranian [civilians].”

The insider said that protesters are waving the flag of Iran under the Pahlavi monarchy, which ruled iran as shah before the family was exiled in 1979. Protesters are chanting “javid shah,” which means “long live the shah.” The phrase was considered unutterable not long ago, but has surged in popularity among protesters in the past few weeks.

The insider said an attack from Israel or the United States against the regime would “help the morale” of protesters, at least. The insider also expressed some hope that the protesters calling for regime change and the downfall of the Islamic dictatorship are having some success.

“The population is massive. We are occupying streets in every cities in the country,” the insider said. 

“But the regime has no shame killing everyone,” the following message said. “At what cost?”

🚨INSIDE IRAN: My conversation today, day 15 of the blackout protests, with someone inside Iran. Please watch and share as there is little communication coming out right now. #iran #iranprotests pic.twitter.com/iEJoZAFXr6

— Elina Shirazi (@elinashirazi) January 11, 2026

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell announced on Friday that he was under investigation, and claimed that President Donald Trump’s administration was using the threat of an indictment as a punishment for his refusal to lower interest rates at the president’s direction.

Powell posted a video in conjunction with a press release on Saturday, explaining the Trump administration’s rationale for launching the probe and then pivoted to say that he believed the real reasons for the investigation were political.

WATCH:

Video message from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell: https://t.co/5dfrkByGyX pic.twitter.com/O4ecNaYaGH

— Federal Reserve (@federalreserve) January 12, 2026

“On Friday, the Department of Justice served the Federal Reserve with grand jury subpoenas, threatening a criminal indictment related to my testimony before the Senate Banking Committee last June. That testimony concerned in part a multi-year project to renovate historic Federal Reserve office buildings,” Powell said.

“I have deep respect for the rule of law and for accountability in our democracy. No one—certainly not the chair of the Federal Reserve—is above the law,” he added, before turning to suggest that the Trump administration was retaliating against him for refusing to adjust interest rates to the president’s satisfaction. “But this unprecedented action should be seen in the broader context of the administration’s threats and ongoing pressure.”

“This new threat is not about my testimony last June or about the renovation of the Federal Reserve buildings. It is not about Congress’s oversight role; the Fed through testimony and other public disclosures made every effort to keep Congress informed about the renovation project,” Powell claimed, arguing that the president was simply using those reasons as cover. “Those are pretexts. The threat of criminal charges is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the President.”

“This is about whether the Fed will be able to continue to set interest rates based on evidence and economic conditions—or whether instead monetary policy will be directed by political pressure or intimidation,” he added. “I have served at the Federal Reserve under four administrations, Republicans and Democrats alike. In every case, I have carried out my duties without political fear or favor, focused solely on our mandate of price stability and maximum employment. Public service sometimes requires standing firm in the face of threats. I will continue to do the job the Senate confirmed me to do, with integrity and a commitment to serving the American people.”

Trump has repeatedly threatened to either fire Powell or sue him — as recently as late December — and has accused him of “gross incompetence.”