More than 500 people have been killed in two weeks of unrest across Iran, according to a U.S.-based rights group, as Tehran warned it would strike U.S. military bases and Israel if President Donald Trump intervenes on behalf of protesters.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency HRANA said it had verified the deaths of 490 protesters and 48 members of the security forces, with more than 10,600 people arrested since demonstrations erupted on December 28 over soaring prices before turning into nationwide protests against Iran’s clerical leadership. Iranian authorities have not released official figures.
Trump has repeatedly warned that the United States could intervene if Iranian forces continue using violence against demonstrators. According to U.S. media reports, he was due to be briefed on options including military strikes, cyber operations, expanded sanctions, and support for opposition groups.
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf issued a direct warning to Washington, saying that any attack on Iran would make Israel and all U.S. bases and ships legitimate targets.
Despite an internet blackout, images circulating online showed large crowds in Tehran chanting in the streets and clashes in cities such as Mashhad, where fires, explosions, and heavy smoke were reported. Iranian state television showed dozens of body bags at Tehran’s coroner’s office, claiming they were victims of what it described as armed terrorists.
Israel has placed its military on high alert in case of U.S. action, following last year’s 12-day war between Israel and Iran in which U.S. forces struck Iranian nuclear sites and Iran retaliated with missile attacks on Israel and a U.S. base in Qatar.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the United States and Israel of orchestrating the unrest and bringing in terrorists to attack mosques, banks, and public property, while urging families to keep children away from the protests. He said the government was willing to listen to public grievances over economic conditions.
Trump, in a social media post, said the United States stood ready to help Iranians seeking freedom. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was closely monitoring events and expressed hope that Iranians would soon be freed from what he called tyranny.
Opposition figures abroad, including Reza Pahlavi and Maryam Rajavi, urged protesters to stay in the streets, claiming the demonstrations were reshaping Iran’s political landscape. Analysts said the government was likely to suppress the protests but emerge weakened.
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