Its security forces have brutally defended the Islamic Republic, but the protests show that many Iranians consider it stagnant and ideologically hollow.

Iran has deployed new techniques to swiftly and decisively crush nationwide protests, signaling a tactical shift by a regime that now views domestic dissent as an extension of the summer war with Israel.

A source inside Iran who was able to call out told CBS News on Tuesday that activist groups working to compile a full death toll from the protests, based on reports from medical officials across the country, believed the toll was at least 12,000, and possibly as high as 20,000.

The Iranian government has eased some restrictions on its people, allowing them to make phone calls abroad for the first time in days. But, curbs on internet and texting services were not lifted. Starlink,

Demonstrations that began as outrage over the economy are facing a brutal crackdown as President Trump weighs military action.

Iran faces unprecedented protests as citizens unite around overthrowing the Islamic Republic, marking the most serious threat to the regime since 1979.

Anti-government protests have erupted across all 31 of Iran’s provinces in a wave of unrest that marks the biggest challenge to the regime in years.

In Iran, popular protests continue to sweep the country. Rights groups say hundreds of Iranians have been killed in the government crackdown on the protests, which are seen as a challenge to the theocratic regime.