Iran has warned it will retaliate if the United States attacks, as activists and sources report that hundreds of people have been killed during an escalating crackdown on anti-government protests across the country.
Sources in Tehran told the BBC that security forces have been using live ammunition against demonstrators. One source described the situation as resembling a “war zone”, with bodies being removed in trucks. BBC journalists counted around 180 body bags in footage from near Tehran, while the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said it has verified the deaths of 495 protesters and 48 members of the security forces nationwide.
The agency also reported that more than 10,600 people have been detained during nearly two weeks of unrest. Hospital staff in several cities told BBC Persian they were overwhelmed by casualties, with one health worker in Tehran reporting dozens of deaths from gunshot wounds to the head and chest.
The protests, which began over soaring inflation, have expanded into calls for an end to clerical rule under Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran’s attorney general has said protesters would be treated as “enemies of God”, an offence that carries the death penalty, while Khamenei has dismissed demonstrators as vandals acting to please foreign powers.
Tensions have risen further after US President Donald Trump said Washington “stands ready to help”, adding that Iran was “looking at freedom”. US officials told American media that Trump had been briefed on military options, alongside alternatives including cyber operations and additional sanctions.
Iran’s parliament speaker warned that if the US attacked, both Israeli targets and US military and shipping interests in the region would be considered legitimate targets. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has accused the US and Israel of fuelling unrest, without providing evidence.
The government has imposed a near-total internet shutdown since Thursday, with monitoring group NetBlocks saying connectivity has fallen to around 1% of normal levels. Analysts say the blackout is more severe than during the 2022 “Women, Life, Freedom” protests.
Despite restrictions, verified footage has emerged showing clashes between protesters and security forces in Tehran, Mashhad, Ilam and other cities, including images of burning vehicles and gunfire near hospitals. Three days of national mourning have been announced for what authorities describe as “martyrs” killed in a confrontation with the US and Israel.
Exiled opposition figure Reza Pahlavi, son of Iran’s last shah, urged protesters to continue demonstrations and called for efforts to seize and hold city centres, saying he was preparing to return to Iran.