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U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran’s leadership on Friday against the use of force on protesters, as videos showed widespread anti-government demonstrations across the country and authorities-imposed a near-total internet blackout to stem the growing unrest.
“You better not start shooting because we'll start shooting too,” Reuters reported Trump saying on Saturday, issuing his strongest warning yet as protests entered a second week and reports of fatalities mounted.
“I just hope the protesters in Iran are going to be safe, because that's a very dangerous place right now,” he added.
The warning came as Iranian rights groups documented dozens of deaths since demonstrations began on Dec 28, and state television aired images of clashes, fires and damaged infrastructure.
The semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that several police officers had been killed overnight.
Despite his rhetoric, Trump signalled caution over backing an opposition figure, saying on Thursday he was not inclined to meet US-based Reza Pahlavi, the crown prince and son of Iran’s late shah, suggesting Washington was waiting to see how the crisis unfolds.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, meanwhile, adopted an uncompromising tone, vowing not to back down and accusing protesters of acting on behalf of opposition groups abroad and the United States.
“The Islamic Republic came to power through the blood of hundreds of thousands of honourable people. It will not back down in the face of vandals,” he said, accusing those involved in the unrest of seeking to please Trump.
Tehran’s public prosecutor escalated the threat further, warning that those accused of sabotage or clashing with security forces could face the death penalty.
The Ministry of Information and Communications Technology said the internet shutdown was ordered “by the competent security authorities under the prevailing circumstances of the country,” a move that sharply reduced information flowing out of Iran. Phone calls to the country failed to connect, while at least 17 flights between Dubai and Iran were cancelled, according to Dubai Airport’s website.
Iranian rights group HRANA said it had documented at least 62 deaths so far, including 48 protesters and 14 security personnel.
The unrest represents the most serious internal challenge in at least three years for Iran’s clerical leadership, which is under strain from a dire economic situation following last year’s conflict with Israel and the United States.
Protests initially sparked by economic grievances, including inflation that topped 40 per cent in December and a rial that lost half its value against the dollar last year, have evolved into direct challenges to the authorities.
Videos verified by Reuters showed hundreds marching in Tehran, with one clip capturing a woman shouting, “Death to Khamenei!”
Other footage broadcast by state television showed burning buses, cars and motorbikes, as well as fires at underground railway stations and banks.
Social media videos, which Reuters could not immediately verify, appeared to show demonstrations continuing late into Friday in Tehran, Mashhad and Shiraz.
In one clip from Shiraz, protesters were heard chanting, “This is the year of blood, Seyed Ali (Khamenei) will be overthrown.”
Iranian rights group Hengaw reported that a march after Friday prayers in Zahedan, home to a large Baluch minority population, was met with gunfire that wounded several people.
European leaders reacted with alarm. France, Britain and Germany issued a joint statement condemning the killing of protesters and urging Iranian authorities to refrain from violence.
The United Nations also expressed deep concern.
“People anywhere in the world have a right to demonstrate peacefully, and governments have a responsibility to protect that right and to ensure that that right is respected,” said UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.
Iran’s government has pursued a dual approach, acknowledging economic grievances as legitimate while denouncing what it calls violent rioters. Last week, President Masoud Pezeshkian urged a “kind and responsible approach” and announced modest financial measures to ease hardship, but the tone hardened as unrest spread.
Iran’s UN ambassador accused Washington of “destabilizing practices” and blamed it for “the transformation of peaceful protests into violent, subversive acts.”
Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said the likelihood of foreign military intervention was “very low,” adding that Oman’s foreign minister, a frequent mediator between Iran and the West, was due to visit on Saturday.
Iran has weathered repeated waves of unrest over the past decades, including student protests in 1999, post-election demonstrations in 2009, economic protests in 2019 and the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom movement.
That uprising was eventually crushed, with hundreds killed and thousands jailed, though authorities later relaxed enforcement of dress codes.
Analysts say the current protests reflect a deepening crisis of confidence.
“The sense of hopelessness in Iranian society is something today that we haven't seen before. I mean, that sense of anger has just deepened over the years and we are at record new levels in terms of how Iranian society is upset,” said Alex Vatanka of Washington’s Middle East Institute. - January 10, 2025