August M
Deadly protests across Iran are posing one of the most serious challenges to the country’s clerical leadership in decades, with hundreds reported killed and thousands arrested as unrest spreads despite an information blackout.
The demonstrations began late last month over soaring prices and have since evolved into wider calls against the ruling system established after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Mounting casualties
A US-based rights group, HRANA, said it had verified the deaths of 490 protesters and 48 members of the security forces, with more than 10,600 people arrested. Iran has not released official figures, and Reuters said it was unable to independently verify the toll.
Iranian authorities accuse the United States and Israel of stirring unrest. State media reported calls for nationwide rallies to denounce what officials described as “terrorist actions led by the United States and Israel”.
Images broadcast on state television showed rows of body bags at a Tehran coroner’s office, while families gathered outside forensic centres to identify the dead. Reuters verified the locations shown in the footage.
Information blackout
The flow of information has been restricted by an internet shutdown imposed last week. Videos shared on social media before the blackout showed large crowds marching at night in Tehran, clapping and chanting.
Authorities declared three days of national mourning “in honour of martyrs killed in resistance against the United States and the Zionist regime,” according to state media.
Despite repeated waves of unrest in recent years, analysts say the current protests are unusually intense, unfolding as Iran continues to recover from last year’s war and regional setbacks.
Trump’s warning
Against this backdrop, President Donald Trump said the United States was reviewing a range of responses, including military options. He warned Iran’s leaders that Washington would act if security forces opened fire on protesters.
“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, according to Reuters.
Trump also said Iran had called to negotiate its nuclear programme, which was struck by the US and Israel during a 12-day war in June. A US official said Trump was due to meet senior advisers to discuss next steps.
Tehran’s response
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned Washington against “a miscalculation”.
“Let us be clear: in the case of an attack on Iran, the occupied territories (Israel) as well as all U.S. bases and ships will be our legitimate target,” he said.
Former US diplomat Alan Eyre told Reuters it was unlikely the protests would topple the system, but said Iran could emerge “far weaker” from the crisis.
Sources: Reuters, HRANA, Wall Street Journal
