DUBAI, Jan 10 (Reuters) – Iran’s authorities indicated on Saturday they may intensify their crackdown on the most important anti-government demonstrations in years, with the Revolutionary Guards blaming unrest on terrorists and vowing to safeguard the governing system.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to intervene in latest days, posted on social media on Saturday: “Iran is taking a look at FREEDOM, maybe like by no means earlier than. The USA stands prepared to assist!!!”
There have been recent reviews of violence throughout Iran, though an web blackout made it tough to evaluate the total extent of unrest.
After dusk on Saturday, new movies posted on-line purported to point out recent protests in a variety of neighbourhoods within the capital Tehran and a number of other cities, together with Rasht within the north, Tabriz within the northwest and Shiraz and Kerman within the south. Reuters couldn’t instantly confirm the most recent movies.
The exiled son of Iran’s final shah, who has emerged as a outstanding voice within the fragmented opposition, made his strongest name but for the protests to broaden right into a revolt to topple the clerical rulers.
State media mentioned a municipal constructing was set on hearth in Karaj, west of Tehran, and blamed “rioters”. State TV broadcast footage of funerals of members of the safety forces it mentioned have been killed in protests within the cities of Shiraz, Qom and Hamedan.
Footage posted on Friday on social media confirmed massive crowds gathered in Tehran and fires lit on the street. In a single video verified by Reuters exhibiting a nighttime protest in Tehran’s Saadatabad district, a person is heard saying the gang had taken over the world.
“The group is coming. ‘Dying to the dictator’, ‘Dying to Khamenei’,” he mentioned, referring to Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Protests have unfold throughout Iran since December 28, starting in response to hovering inflation, and rapidly turning political with protesters demanding an finish to clerical rule. Authorities accuse the U.S. and Israel of fomenting unrest.
A senior U.S. intelligence official described the scenario as an “endurance recreation”. The opposition was attempting to maintain up strain till key authorities figures both flee or change sides, whereas the authorities have been attempting to sow sufficient worry to clear the streets with out giving the US justification to intervene, the official mentioned.
Iranian rights group HRANA says at the least 50 protesters and 15 safety personnel have been killed, and a few 2,300 arrested.
Military says ‘terrorist teams’ search to undermine safety
A witness in western Iran reached by cellphone mentioned the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) have been deployed and opening hearth within the space from which the witness was talking, declining to be recognized for security.
The semi-official Tasnim information company reported the arrest of 100 “armed rioters” within the city of Baharestan close to Tehran.
In a press release broadcast by state TV, the IRGC – an elite power which has suppressed earlier bouts of unrest – accused “terrorists” of focusing on army and legislation enforcement bases over the previous two nights. It mentioned a number of residents and safety personnel had been killed and private and non-private property set on hearth.
Safeguarding the achievements of the Islamic revolution and sustaining safety was a “crimson line”, it added.
The common army additionally issued a press release saying it might “defend and safeguard nationwide pursuits, the nation’s strategic infrastructure, and public property.”
Pahlavi says objective is to organize to ‘seize metropolis centres’
In a video posted on X, U.S.-based Reza Pahlavi, 65, whose father was toppled as Iran’s shah within the 1979 revolution, mentioned the Islamic Republic could be introduced “to its knees”. He referred to as for folks to grab the centres of their cities, and mentioned he was getting ready to return quickly to Iran.
“Our objective is now not merely to return into the streets; the objective is to organize to grab metropolis centres and maintain them,” he mentioned.
A physician in northwestern Iran mentioned that since Friday, massive numbers of injured protesters had been delivered to hospitals. Some have been badly crushed, struggling head accidents and damaged legs and arms, in addition to deep cuts.
Not less than 20 folks in a single hospital had been shot with reside ammunition, 5 of whom later died.
Trump mentioned on Thursday he was not inclined to satisfy Pahlavi, an indication that he was ready to see how the disaster performs out earlier than backing an opposition chief.
Iran’s rulers have weathered repeated bouts of unrest, together with pupil protests in 1999, over a disputed election in 2009, towards financial hardships in 2019, and in 2022 over the loss of life in custody of a lady accused of violating gown codes.
Trump, who joined Israel to strike Iran’s nuclear websites final summer time, has included Iran in lists of locations through which he may intervene since sending forces to grab the president of Venezuela per week in the past. On Friday, in a warning to Iran’s leaders, he mentioned: “You higher not begin capturing as a result of we’ll begin capturing too.”
Some protesters on the streets have shouted slogans in help of Pahlavi, reminiscent of “Lengthy reside the shah”, though most chants have referred to as for an finish to rule by the clerics or demanded motion to repair the financial system.
On Friday, Khamenei accused protesters of appearing on behalf of Trump, saying rioters have been attacking public properties and warning that Tehran wouldn’t tolerate folks appearing as “mercenaries for foreigners”.
(Reporting by Dubai Newsroom. Video verification by Eleanor Whalley and Mahezabin Syed. Writing by Tom PerryEditing by Mark Potter, Peter Graff and Diane Craft)
