India, Jan. 9 -- Thousands have hit the streets, dozens have died, buildings and statues have been set afire in Iran where tensions surrounding protests against the leadership and dwindling economy saw an overnight escalation to an all-time high on Thursday, prompting authorities to resort to a nationwide internet shutdown.

The protests in Iran that started on December 28 have expanded to multiple cities and even capital Tehran. Protesters on Thursday walked through the streets and chanted slogans against Iran's clerical leadership which has been facing a public outrage over the dwindling economy. Track Iran protests live updates

Demonstrators were seen repeating slogans against the clerical leadership, including "Pahlavi will return" a...