Iranian authorities signaled on Saturday that they may step up their crackdown on the country’s largest anti-government protests seen in years, on which they blamed the unrest on terrorists and vowed to protect the ruling system.

Videos circulating on social media showed the gathering of large crowds returning to the streets in several cities, which includes Tehran and the eastern city of Mashhad, where some footage appeared to show vehicles being set ablaze. Videos and images emerged despite a nationwide internet shutdown that has effectively cut off normal communication with the outside world.

Several unverified videos shared online allegedly showed families at a Tehran morgue identifying the bodies of protesters killed during the security forces’ crackdown.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said it had confirmed at least 116 deaths linked to the protests, including 37 members of the security forces or other officials. Another Human rights group, Norway-based Iran Human Rights, was expected to release an updated report later on Sunday.

Activists warned saying the internet blackout was severely restricting the sharing of information and that the true death toll could be significantly higher.

The Centre for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), based in the United States, said it had oobtained eyewitness accounts and valid information suggesting that hundreds of protesters may have been killed nationwide during the shutdown. The group said hospitals were overwhelmed, blood supplies were running low, and that many demonstrators had been deliberately shot in the eyes.

Meanwhile, Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah, issued yet another strong call for the protests to escalate into a broader uprising aimed at overthrowing the Iran leadership.

In a video posted on X, the 65-year-old U.S.-based opposition figure said the Islamic Republic would be brought “to its knees,” urging protesters to take control of town centers, further adding that he was preparing to return to Iran soon.

“Our goal is no longer merely to come into the streets; the goal is to prepare to seize city centers and hold them,” he said.

The State media reported that a municipal building in Karaj, west of Tehran, was set ablaze, blaming the incident on what it described as “rioters.” State television also released footage of funerals for the security personnel said to have been killed during the unrest in the cities of Shiraz, Qom and Hamedan.