By Mostafa Salem, CNN
Photo: JOHN MACDOUGALL / AFP
Anti-government protests in Iran erupted for a thirteenth consecutive day on Friday, in a wave of nationwide unrest that marks the biggest challenge to the regime in years.
Authorities cut off internet access and telephone lines on Thursday - the biggest night of nationwide demonstrations so far - leaving Iran largely cut off from the outside world. Rights groups said dozens of people have been killed since the protests began.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to attack Iran if security forces respond with force. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has urged Trump to "focus on his own country" and blamed the US for inciting the protests.
As public anger continues to swell and demonstrations continue, here's what you need to know.
What triggered the protests?
The protests began as demonstrations in Tehran's bazaars over rampant inflation but have spread across the country and morphed into more general protests against the regime.
Concerns over inflation came to a head last week, when the prices of basic goods like cooking oil and chicken dramatically spiked overnight, with some products vanishing from shelves all together.
Exacerbating the situation was a decision by the central bank to end a program allowing some importers to access cheaper US dollars com
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