IRIA News

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Iran has warned it will retaliate against Israel and the U.S. if attacked. The warning came as mass protests continued across the country despite the government’s crackdown and a sweeping internet shutdown.

Demonstrations that began in Tehran over soaring inflation have now spread to more than 100 cities and towns across every province, evolving into direct calls for an end to the clerical system led by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Human rights groups and hospital sources say that the death toll has risen sharply over the past two weeks. Videos and eyewitness accounts indicate that Iranian authorities have responded strictly to the protests over the weekend.

Some medical staff at hospitals said more than 100 bodies were brought in over two days, while hospital workers in multiple cities reported being overwhelmed by the injured and dead.

Footage authenticated from Tehran, the western province of Kermanshah, and the southern Bushehr region shows security forces firing live ammunition at gatherings of protesters. In the western city of Ilam, multiple verified videos show security forces firing shots toward Imam Khomeini Hospital, where protesters had been holding a rally.

In the northern city of Rasht, unverified hospital staff reported that 70 bodies were brought to one hospital on Friday night alone. In contrast, a health worker at a Tehran hospital reported around 38 deaths over a similar period.

Iran’s police chief said on state television that authorities had increased the level of confrontation, announcing the arrest of what he described as “key figures” on Saturday night.

He claimed a “significant proportion of fatalities” were caused by “trained and directed individuals,” not security forces, without providing evidence. A human rights group reported that more than 2,500 people have been arrested since protests began on December 28.

US Threats and Iranian Warnings

The unrest has prompted increasingly sharp rhetoric between Tehran and Washington.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States “stands ready to help” as Iran “is looking at FREEDOM,” without elaborating on what form that support might take.

U.S. officials confirmed Trump has been briefed on potential military strike options against Iran, though they described these as preliminary discussions with no imminent decision. Senior U.S. officials have also discussed the situation with Israel amid rising regional tensions.

Iran’s parliament speaker responded by warning that if the U.S. attacked Iran, Israel, along with U.S. military and shipping centers in the region, would become legitimate targets.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian blamed the unrest on foreign interference. “They have trained certain individuals inside the country and abroad, brought terrorists into the country from outside, set mosques on fire, and attacked markets and guilds in Rasht, setting the bazaar ablaze,” he said, without presenting evidence.

Iran’s attorney general said anyone protesting would be considered an “enemy of God,” an offense that carries the death penalty. Ayatollah Khamenei dismissed demonstrators as a “bunch of vandals” seeking to “please” Trump.

Protests Despite Internet Shutdown

Authorities imposed a near-total internet shutdown on Thursday, severely restricting access even to Iran’s domestic intranet. Experts said the blackout is more severe than during the “Women, Life, Freedom” protests of 2022.

An internet researcher said the only likely way to access the outside world was through satellite services such as Starlink, warning that such connections could potentially be traced by authorities.

Despite these restrictions, verified footage has continued to emerge. In Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city, videos show masked protesters taking cover behind bins and bonfires as security forces line up in the distance. A bus appears to be engulfed in flames, while gunshots and the sound of people banging pots and pans can be heard.

In Tehran, verified videos from Saturday night show protesters taking over the streets in the Gisha district. Other footage shows crowds marching in Punak Square and the Heravi district, calling for an end to clerical rule.

Rising Death Toll and Human Rights Concerns

Human rights organizations report sharply differing but steadily rising casualty figures. A U.S.-based group said at least 162 protesters and 41 security personnel have been killed in the past two weeks. Another organization reported at least 192 protesters killed.

“The killing of protesters over the past three days, particularly following the nationwide internet shutdown, may be even more extensive than we currently imagine,” its director said.

BBC Persian has confirmed the identities of 26 people killed so far, including six children. Amnesty International said it was analyzing “distressing reports that security forces had intensified their unlawful use of lethal force against protesters” since Thursday.

UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said people speaking out against Iran’s leadership should not face “the threat of violence or reprisals.”

Exiled Figures and Opposition Messaging

Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah, who lives in the US and whose return some protesters have openly called for, addressed demonstrators in a social media post on Sunday.

He said Trump had “carefully observed your indescribable bravery,” adding: “Your compatriots around the world are proudly shouting your voice.”

“I know that I will soon be by your side,” he wrote.

Pahlavi claimed the Islamic Republic was facing a “severe shortage of mercenaries” and that “many armed and security forces have left their workplaces or disobeyed orders to suppress the people.” These claims could not be independently verified.

He urged protesters to continue demonstrating but warned them to remain in groups and avoid unnecessary risks.

A System Under Pressure

The current unrest is the most widespread since the 2022 uprising triggered by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman detained by morality police for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly.

That movement lasted months and resulted in more than 550 deaths and around 20,000 detentions, according to human rights groups.

While earlier protests focused heavily on social freedoms and women’s rights, the current demonstrations are rooted in economic collapse, runaway inflation, and declining living standards, before rapidly expanding into direct challenges to Iran’s political system.

As violence escalates and international pressure grows, the confrontation now risks spilling beyond Iran’s borders, raising fears of a broader regional crisis at a time of already heightened tensions in the Middle East.