Iran's rulers are confronting their most serious challenge since their own 1979 revolution.
They're now countering on an unprecedented scale - a ferocious security crackdown and near total internet shutdown has been unleashed on a scale unseen in previous crises.
Some of the streets once engulfed by a roar of anger against the regime are now starting to go silent.
On Friday it was extremely crowded - the crowd was unbelievable - and there was a lot of shooting. Then Saturday night it became much, much quieter, a resident of Tehran told BBC Persian.
You would have to have a death wish to go out now, one Iranian journalist reflected.
This time, an internal upheaval is compounded by an external threat, with President Trump's warnings of military action coming seven months after the US strikes on key nuclear facilities during a brief conflict between Iran and Israel.
Trump claims Tehran has called to return to negotiations, yet Iran is firm on its nuclear program—a red line for the Iranian theocracy.
Despite the pressure, there appears to be no sign of Tehran's leaders altering their course.
As tensions mount, the Iranian government maintains its narrative of control over the situation. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has reassured diplomats that the situation is now under total control, even as medical accounts reveal hospitals overwhelmed with casualties.
This growing unrest, which started with protests over economic conditions, has seen hundreds of deaths and tens of thousands of arrests, underlining the desperation within the Iranian populace who are challenging a regime marked by mismanagement and corruption.
The current crisis has further polarized opinions within and beyond Iran, with differing views on whether the change should be imposed from outside or arise organically from the populace itself.
Though protesters seek reforms, the potential for violent government repression looms large, leading many to worry about the long-lasting consequences for both the Iranian people and the wider Middle East.
