Supporters of Iran gather in front of a large Iranian flag in St. Peter’s Square. Protests have erupted around the world following news that protesters across Iran have been killed by the Islamic Republic’s regime.
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Tehran on Sunday threatened to retaliate against Israel and its military bases if the United States attacked Iran, warning the U.S. government, as Israeli officials said Israel was on high alert for possible U.S. intervention.
As Iran’s clergy faces the largest anti-government protests since 2022, US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene in recent days and warned Iranian leaders against using force against demonstrators.
On Saturday, President Trump said the United States was “ready to help.”
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned the United States not to make “miscalculations” in a speech in parliament on Sunday.
“Let me be clear: in the event of an attack on Iran, the occupied territories (Israel) and all U.S. military bases and ships are legitimate targets,” said Qalibaf, a former commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.
death toll rises
Three Israeli officials who attended Israeli security talks over the weekend said Israel was on high alert but did not elaborate on what that meant.
An Israeli government spokesperson declined to comment. The Israeli military did not respond to requests for comment.
Israel and Iran waged a 12-day war in June, with the United States joining Israel in launching airstrikes. Iran retaliated to the US attack by firing a missile at a US air base in Qatar.
Protests have spread across Iran since Dec. 28, starting in response to soaring inflation and quickly becoming political, with protesters demanding an end to clerical rule. Authorities have accused the United States and Israel of stirring up unrest.
The flow of information from Iran has been hampered by an internet blackout imposed by authorities since Thursday. US-based human rights organization HRANA said the death toll had reached 116 people, most of them protesters, but also 37 members of security forces.
Iranian state television broadcast funeral processions for security forces killed in protests in western Iranian cities such as Ghaksalan and Yasuj.
Videos on social media posted on Saturday showed large crowds gathering in Tehran’s Punak district at night, rhythmically beating drums on bridges and other metal objects in an apparent sign of protest. Reuters confirmed the location.
Iran’s rulers have quelled repeated unrest, most recently in 2022 over the custodial death of a woman accused of violating the dress code.
U.S. officials say Iran is in a ‘prolonged war’
President Trump posted on social media on Saturday: “Iran wants freedom more than perhaps ever before. America stands ready to help!!!”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the possibility of U.S. intervention in Iran during a phone conversation on Saturday, according to an Israeli official who was present at the meeting.
U.S. officials confirmed the two spoke, but declined to say what topics they discussed.
A senior US intelligence official on Saturday described the situation in Iran as a “prolonged war.” The official said the opposition was trying to keep up the pressure on government officials until they fled or defected, while the authorities were trying to instill enough fear to remove the U.S. from the streets without justifying its intervention.
Tensions between the arch-enemies have escalated over Israel’s concerns about Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, with Israel showing no intention of intervening.
Prime Minister Netanyahu said in an interview with The Economist published Friday that there would be dire consequences if Iran attacked Israel. “I think everything else needs to be looked at what’s going on inside Iran,” he said, alluding to protests.
