{"id":33581,"date":"2026-01-12T05:42:16","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T03:42:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/?p=33581"},"modified":"2026-01-12T05:42:17","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T03:42:17","slug":"iran-warns-it-will-target-us-and-israel-if-washington-attacks-over-ongoing-protests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/iran-warns-it-will-target-us-and-israel-if-washington-attacks-over-ongoing-protests\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran warns it will target US and Israel if Washington attacks over ongoing protests"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

6 minute read<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s crackdown and a sweeping internet shutdown.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Iranians<\/a>
Iranians gather while blocking a street during a protest in Tehran, Iran. (Image Credit: MAHSA\/Middle East Images\/via X\/PressTV)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Iran\u2019s police chief said on state television that authorities had increased the level of confrontation, announcing the arrest of what he described as \u201ckey figures\u201d on Saturday night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He claimed a \u201csignificant proportion of fatalities\u201d were caused by \u201ctrained and directed individuals,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


US Threats and Iranian Warnings<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The unrest has prompted increasingly sharp rhetoric between Tehran and Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States \u201cstands ready to help\u201d as Iran \u201cis looking at FREEDOM,\u201d without elaborating on what form that support might take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iran\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iran\u2019s President Masoud Pezeshkian blamed the unrest on foreign interference. \u201cThey 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,\u201d he said, without presenting evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"U.S.<\/a>
U.S. President Donald Trump (L) with US flag in the background, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (R) with Iranian flag in the background, and Iranian protesters walking in the background. (Image Credit: Reuters\/Jonathan Ernst\/Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader\/WANA\/IRIA)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Iran\u2019s attorney general said anyone protesting would be considered an \u201cenemy of God,\u201d an offense that carries the death penalty. Ayatollah Khamenei dismissed demonstrators as a \u201cbunch of vandals\u201d seeking to \u201cplease\u201d Trump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Protests Despite Internet Shutdown<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities imposed a near-total internet shutdown on Thursday, severely restricting access even to Iran\u2019s domestic intranet. Experts said the blackout is more severe than during the \u201cWomen, Life, Freedom\u201d protests of 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite these restrictions, verified footage has continued to emerge. In Mashhad, Iran\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Smoke<\/a>
Smoke rises as protesters gather amid evolving anti-government unrest in Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan province, Iran, released on January 10, 2026, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. (Image Credit: Social Media)<\/sup><\/em>

<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n


Rising Death Toll and Human Rights Concerns<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe killing of protesters over the past three days, particularly following the nationwide internet shutdown, may be even more extensive than we currently imagine,\u201d its director said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BBC Persian has confirmed the identities of 26 people killed so far, including six children. Amnesty International said it was analyzing \u201cdistressing reports that security forces had intensified their unlawful use of lethal force against protesters\u201d since Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said people speaking out against Iran\u2019s leadership should not face \u201cthe threat of violence or reprisals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Exiled Figures and Opposition Messaging<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said Trump had \u201ccarefully observed your indescribable bravery,\u201d adding: \u201cYour compatriots around the world are proudly shouting your voice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Hundreds<\/a>
Hundreds attend a funeral in Shiraz on January 10, 2025, for two police forces killed during riots in Iran. (Image Credit: IQNA\/PressTV)<\/sup><\/em>

<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cI know that I will soon be by your side,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pahlavi claimed the Islamic Republic was facing a \u201csevere shortage of mercenaries\u201d and that \u201cmany armed and security forces have left their workplaces or disobeyed orders to suppress the people.\u201d These claims could not be independently verified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He urged protesters to continue demonstrating but warned them to remain in groups and avoid unnecessary risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


A System Under Pressure<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That movement lasted months and resulted in more than 550 deaths and around 20,000 detentions, according to human rights groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While earlier protests focused heavily on social freedoms and women\u2019s rights, the current demonstrations are rooted in economic collapse, runaway inflation, and declining living standards, before rapidly expanding into direct challenges to Iran\u2019s political system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As violence escalates and international pressure grows, the confrontation now risks spilling beyond Iran\u2019s borders, raising fears of a broader regional crisis at a time of already heightened tensions in the Middle East.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"People<\/a>
People walk on a street as protests erupt over the collapse of the currency’s value in Tehran, Iran, on January 2, 2026. (Image Credit: Majid Asgaripour\/WANA)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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\u2019s crackdown and a sweeping internet shutdown.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23834,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[44,1],"tags":[75,134,30,26,356,5,71,29,113,7,291],"class_list":["post-33581","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-middle-east","category-news","tag-conflict","tag-economy","tag-iran","tag-israel","tag-middle-east","tag-military","tag-politics","tag-protest","tag-security","tag-u-s","tag-violence"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Iran-ballistic-missile.jpg?fit=690%2C370&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7jJWb-8JD","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33581","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33581"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33581\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33590,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33581\/revisions\/33590"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23834"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33581"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33581"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33581"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}