Iran protests ease after week-long crackdown and internet outage

Central Tehran on Thursday (Vahid Salemi/AP)

Nationwide protests challenging Iran’s theocracy appear increasingly smothered, a week after authorities shut the country off from the world and escalated a crackdown that activists say has killed at least 2,615 people.

In the capital Tehran, witnesses said recent mornings showed no new signs of bonfires or debris in the streets. The sound of gunfire, which had been intense for several nights, has also faded.