Videos shared on social media showed thousands of protesters gathering at Punak Square in Tehran, with chants, cheers and the sound of pots being banged filling the night air. Iranian authorities signalled a tougher crackdown on the biggest anti-government protests in years, with the Revolutionary Guards blaming “terrorists” for the unrest and vowing to protect the ruling system. Demonstrations that began over soaring inflation have spread nationwide since late December, evolving into political