Iran’s Islamic regime is facing its most serious internal challenge in years as nationwide demonstrations continue into a third week, met by mass arrests, live gunfire, and a sweeping internet blackout. As the death toll rises and images of slain protesters circulate online, Tehran has escalated its rhetoric against the United States and Israel, explicitly threatening military retaliation if President Donald Trump authorizes action against the regime.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf issued the clearest threat yet on Sunday. Speaking from the floor of the Islamic Consultative Assembly in Tehran’s Baharestan district, as lawmakers chanted “Death to America,” Ghalibaf warned that the United States and Israel were “legitimate targets” if Washington intervenes in response to the crackdown on protesters. “In the event of an attack on Iran, both the occupied territory [Israel] and all American military centers, bases, and ships in the region will be our legitimate targets,” he said, according to the Associated Press. Ghalibaf added that Iran would not wait to respond after an attack, stating that the regime would act based on “objective signs of a threat.”
Ghalibaf previously commanded the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which oversees Iran’s missile program. His remarks came as Iran’s security forces intensified operations against protesters across the country.
Iran’s national police chief, Ahmad-Reza Radan, announced that “significant arrests were made of the main elements in the riots,” saying detainees would be punished after legal proceedings. He did not provide numbers or identities. Dissident groups, however, report that from Thursday evening through Saturday night, at least 2,000 protesters were killed by security forces. Sources told the London-based Iran International that the actual figure could be substantially higher.
Hospitals across Iran have reported large numbers of dead and wounded. Witnesses said more than 400 bodies were being held at makeshift sites in Kahrizak, south of Tehran, including an industrial shed. On Friday alone, 44 bodies were transferred to Madani Hospital in Karaj, with another 36 seen at Ghaem Hospital the same day. A doctor in the northern city of Rasht reported that at least 70 bodies were sent to his hospital. Physicians interviewed by international media said most fatalities were caused by live ammunition, often with gunshot wounds to the head and eyes.
Despite the violence, demonstrations continued. Tens of thousands of protesters gathered Saturday night in western Tehran. Protests have been reported in all 31 provinces, with chants of “Freedom” and “Death to the dictator.” The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said more than 2,600 people have been detained since the unrest began. Tehran’s prosecutor warned that protesters could face the death penalty.
On Thursday night, Iranian authorities imposed a near-total internet blackout, leaving more than 90 percent of the population offline, according to internet monitor Netblocks. Phone lines were cut and foreign journalists barred. Some Iranians managed to access the internet through the Starlink satellite service after Elon Musk announced free connectivity for users inside the country. Videos showing bodies in the streets, overwhelmed hospitals, and a mosque burning in Tehran circulated on social media despite the blackout.
Iranian officials have sought to portray the protesters as violent actors. Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani labeled demonstrators “terrorists,” accusing them of burning police vehicles, buses, and public buildings. Ghalibaf praised the actions of the IRGC and its Basij paramilitary force, warning that “we will deal with them in the most severe way and punish those who are arrested.”
The United States has issued repeated warnings to Tehran. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social, “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!” The State Department stated, “Do not play games with President Trump. When he says he’ll do something, he means it.” According to the New York Times, Trump has been presented with military options, including strikes on nonmilitary targets in Tehran, in response to the regime’s suppression of protests. U.S. officials told the paper that no final decision has been made.
Trump told reporters that “Iran is in big trouble,” adding that protesters were taking control of cities “that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago.” He warned that if the regime continued shooting demonstrators, “We will get involved. We’ll be hitting them very hard where it hurts.”
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected responsibility for the unrest, calling protesters “vandals” and “saboteurs” in a televised address. He accused the United States of directing the violence and said the Islamic Republic would not retreat. “Everyone knows the Islamic republic came to power with the blood of hundreds of thousands of honorable people,” he said. Khamenei predicted that Trump would be “overthrown” like the Pahlavi dynasty that ruled Iran until 1979.
Iran’s regular army, separate from the IRGC, issued its first statement since the unrest began, saying it would act under Khamenei’s command and was monitoring “enemy movements in the region,” an apparent reference to Israel. Meanwhile, Iran’s exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi called for intensified protests, urging demonstrators to seize and hold city centers.
The protests began on Dec. 28 following a sharp economic downturn. Iran’s currency fell to a record low of 1.46 million rials to the dollar, while sanctions over nuclear violations, along with water and electricity shortages, deepened public anger. The unrest has since expanded beyond economic grievances to include calls for the overthrow of the Islamic regime.
