EditIran protests enter third week amid deadly crackdown and escalating U.S. threats
Death toll surpasses 500 as regime warns of retaliation against U.S. and Israel; Trump weighs military options
Nationwide anti-government protests in Iran, now in their third week, have intensified into one of the most severe challenges to the clerical regime since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, with human rights groups confirming more than 500 deaths and over 10,600 arrests.
The unrest erupted on 28 December, initially driven by skyrocketing prices, rampant inflation, and economic collapse, but quickly evolved into broad calls for political change and an end to clerical rule. Demonstrations have spread to more than 180 cities and towns across every province, defying a near-total internet blackout imposed since Thursday – now exceeding 72 hours – that has severely restricted communication, coordination, and external verification of events.
U.S.-based rights group HRANA, drawing on reports from activists inside and outside Iran, has verified the deaths of 490 protesters and 48 security personnel, bringing the total toll above 500. Other activist organizations and media outlets, including reports cited by DW, ABC News, and the BBC, place the figure as high as 538 or more, with dozens of children among the casualties. Independent confirmation remains challenging due to the communications shutdown, though leaked videos show massive night-time crowds in Tehran chanting defiantly, streets in Mashhad engulfed in smoke and debris from fires and explosions, and masked protesters clashing with security forces using live ammunition.
Iranian authorities have labelled the demonstrations as foreign-orchestrated “riots” and “terrorism,” blaming the United States and Israel for instigating chaos. President Masoud Pezeshkian acknowledged legitimate economic grievances but warned families against allowing youth to join what he called violent elements who “behead people and kill others.” The government declared three days of national mourning for “martyrs” – primarily security personnel killed in the clashes – and summoned citizens to a nationwide rally on Monday to condemn alleged U.S.- and Israeli-backed aggression. State television aired funerals for dozens of security forces, including large processions in Isfahan and Kermanshah.
In a stark escalation, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, a former Revolutionary Guards commander, declared: “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.” The warning underscores Tehran’s posture of preemptive retaliation amid perceptions of imminent foreign intervention.
The protests unfold against Iran’s weakened regional standing following the 12-day war with Israel in June 2025, during which the U.S. briefly intervened by striking Iranian nuclear facilities, prompting Iranian missile strikes on Israel and a U.S. base in Qatar.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly voiced support for the protesters, posting on social media that “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!” He claimed Iranian leaders contacted him seeking negotiations and said he receives hourly updates on the crisis, describing the regime’s crackdown as crossing a “red line.”
Multiple U.S. media outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Axios, and CNN, report that Trump is actively considering a spectrum of responses ahead of a briefing with senior advisers, including Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and military leaders. Options reportedly include targeted military strikes (potentially on non-military sites in Tehran or security-linked facilities), offensive cyber operations, deployment of carrier strike groups to the region, expanded sanctions, and measures to restore internet access – such as via Starlink – to aid anti-government communications. Trump has emphasized “very strong options” and warned that any Iranian retaliation would trigger unprecedented U.S. force, though some administration officials caution that major kinetic action could inadvertently rally support around the regime.
Israel remains on high alert, with sources telling Reuters and other outlets that the country has intensified its security posture in anticipation of potential U.S. intervention, which could provoke Iranian strikes on Israeli targets. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the developments in a call with Secretary Rubio, while Israeli officials have stayed largely silent publicly to avoid bolstering Iranian claims of foreign orchestration. Lingering tensions from the June 2025 conflict, combined with Iran’s missile capabilities, have heightened concerns in Jerusalem.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed shock at reports of excessive force and called for maximum restraint, while European officials voiced alarm over the risks of further escalation. Analysts note that, despite the scale of the protests – the largest since 2022 – the regime’s security apparatus remains cohesive, though prolonged violence and economic pressures could erode its legitimacy and further diminish its regional influence.
With Reuters, DW, CNN, edited by g.g.
Caption: Still frame of a young woman with uncovered hair who lights a cigarette holding a burning sheet of paper featuring a portrait of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader. The image has become iconic as a symbol of youth-led resistance against the clerical rule.
Updated: January 12, 2026 - 07:26
