The Iranian government has declared three days of national mourning for what it describes as “martyrs,” including members of the security forces killed during two weeks of nationwide protests, state television reported. Authorities have framed the situation as a “battle of Iran’s national resistance against the United States and the Zionist regime.”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called on citizens to take part in a “national resistance march,” with rallies planned across the country tomorrow to condemn the violence, which the government claims was carried out by “urban terrorist criminals,” according to state media.
Iran has warned that it will retaliate if attacked by the United States. The BBC reported counting around 180 body bags in footage from areas near Tehran. Meanwhile, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) says it has verified the deaths of 495 protesters and 48 members of the security forces nationwide.
According to HRANA, an additional 10,600 people have been detained during the two weeks of unrest. The United States has threatened to strike Iran over the killing of protesters, with President Donald Trump saying on Saturday that the US is “ready to help,” while Iran is “looking toward freedom.”
Trump did not provide details on what actions Washington may be considering. A US official told the BBC’s American partner CBS that the president has been briefed on options for military strikes against Iran.
Other approaches under discussion could include strengthening anti-government online networks, deploying cyber weapons against Iran’s military, and imposing additional sanctions, officials told the Wall Street Journal.
Iran’s parliamentary speaker warned that if the United States launches an attack, both Israel and US military and maritime transport hubs in the region would become legitimate targets.
The protests, which initially erupted over a sharp rise in inflation, have now evolved into broader calls for an end to the clerical rule of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
