The story: The Islamic State group (IS) has claimed a deadly attack on a major Shiite shrine in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz. Meanwhile, the country’s judiciary has initiated a mass indictment of protesters, with public trials set to soon begin. This comes as Iran has seen an upsurge in unrest following calls to mark 40 days since the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman, in the custody of morality police.

The coverage: In the morning of Oct. 26, people massed at a cemetery in Amini’s hometown of Saqez in the western Kurdistan Province, where she is buried.

• The authorities took measures to prevent crowds and gatherings in the province by announcing the closure of schools and universities in the province, ostensibly due to an “influenza outbreak.”
  
  
• Reports also emerged of Amini’s family being pressured to avoid holding a memorial. In addition to major Internet disruptions, a heavy security presence was also reported Saqez and roads leading to it. Officials denied these claims.

Attempts to discourage attendance of the memorial failed, however, as footage showed thousands of people at the cemetery in Saqez.

• Officials downplayed the scale of "scattered riots" in...