Iran has warned the United States not to attack over the protests that have rocked the country, as the reported death toll from the demonstrations soared to hundreds. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said at least 538 people had been killed, including 490 protesters, and more than 10,600 arrested. Another monitor, the Norway-based Iran Human Rights group, reported at least 192 protesters killed. Figures varied due to a near-total internet blackout, making independent verification impossible.
The warning came after US President Donald Trump said the US stood ready to help protesters, raising the prospect of intervention. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump was to be briefed on options including military strikes, cyber weapons, and sanctions. In response, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf said that if Washington struck Iran, “both the occupied territory and all American military centres, bases and ships in the region will be our legitimate targets.”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the US and Israel of being behind the unrest, claiming they had brought in “terrorists” attacking public property. He urged families not to let children join “rioters and terrorists.” The government declared three days of national mourning for “martyrs” including security forces killed in the protests, and called for nationwide rallies on Monday to denounce the violence.
The protests, initially triggered by a currency slide, have escalated into the most significant unrest in years, with demands for political reform and government downfall. Analysts say the government has been weakened by economic crisis and the aftermath of its summer war with Israel. Authorities have arrested key protest leaders, and the attorney general warned that protesters could face charges of being “an enemy of God,” punishable by death.
