Will Donald Trump intervene to stop/take advantage of the protests in Iran?

[BouncerGuy]

Several killed as Iran protests over rising cost of living spread

At least six people have been killed as demonstrations over the soaring cost of living in Iran spread to more parts of the country.

At least three people were killed and 17 others were injured at protests in the city of Azna in Lorestan province, some 300km (185 miles) southwest of Tehran, Iran’s semiofficial Fars news agency reported on Thursday.

Videos shared online appeared to show objects in the street ablaze and gunfire echoing as people shouted: “Shameless! Shameless!”

Earlier, Fars said two people were killed during protests in the city of Lordegan, about 470km (290 miles) south of the capital Tehran in the Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province.

“Some protesters began throwing stones at the city’s administrative buildings, including the provincial governor’s office, the mosque, the Martyrs’ Foundation, the town hall and banks,” Fars said, adding that police responded with tear gas.

Online videos showed demonstrators gathered on a street, with the sound of gunfire in the background.

Earlier on Thursday, Iranian state television also reported that a member of security forces was killed overnight during protests in the western city of Kouhdasht.

“A 21-year-old member of the Basij from the city of Kouhdasht was killed last night by rioters while defending public order,” the channel said, quoting Said Pourali, the deputy governor of Lorestan province.

The Basij are a volunteer force linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The reports come days after shopkeepers began protesting on Sunday over the government’s handling of a currency slide and rapidly rising prices.

The unrest comes at a critical moment for Iran as Western sanctions hammer an economy hit by 40 percent inflation, and after air strikes by Israel and the United States in June targeted the country’s nuclear infrastructure and military leadership.

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Reporting from Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi explained that the government has taken a more cautious approach to this week’s protests than it did to previous demonstrations.

“The government says it’s working hard to find a solution, to deal with the economic hardships that people are feeling,” Asadi said.

Iran last saw mass demonstrations in 2022 and 2023 after the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died in police custody after being arrested for allegedly violating the country’s strict dress code for women.

The latest protests began peacefully in Tehran and spread after students from at least 10 universities joined in on Tuesday.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has sought to calm tensions, acknowledging protesters’ “legitimate demands” and calling on the government to take action to improve the economic situation.

“From an Islamic perspective … if we do not resolve the issue of people’s livelihoods, we will end up in hell,” Pezeshkian said at an event broadcast on state television.

Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said on Thursday the authorities would hold a direct dialogue with representatives of trade unions and merchants, without providing details.

Still, the authorities have promised to take a “firm” stance and warned against exploiting the situation to sow chaos.

“Any attempt to turn economic protests into a tool of insecurity, destruction of public property, or implementation of externally designed scenarios will inevitably be met with a legal, proportionate and decisive response,” Iran’s prosecutor general said on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Tasnim news agency on Wednesday evening reported the arrests of seven people it described as being affiliated with “groups hostile to the Islamic Republic based in the United States and Europe”.

Iran is in the middle of an extended weekend, with the authorities declaring Wednesday a bank holiday at the last minute, citing the need to save energy due to cold weather.

Several killed as Iran protests over rising cost of living spread

Iranian president seeks to calm tensions, acknowledging protesters' 'legitimate' grievances over inflation.

www.aljazeera.com

 

[Bhaijaan]

Tough times for Ayatollah. Iranian dictatorship doesn’t have the luxury of having to only manage docile population of mostly eunuchs as in case of certain other dictatorships like Korea, UK, Pakistan etc

 

[KingKhanWC]

Pls merge , every year a thread is started on some Iranian protests , people from Bihar are excited but nothing happens . Regime change won’t happen with a few hundred protesters

 

[sweep_shot]

Hopefully it will be resolved soon.

 

[BouncerGuy]

At least 36 people killed during Iran protests, rights group says

At least 36 people have been killed during the last 10 days of protests across Iran, a human rights group has said.

The foreign-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that 34 of those confirmed killed were protesters and two were affiliated with security forces.

Iranian authorities have not published an official death toll but said three security personnel have been killed. BBC Persian has so far confirmed the deaths and identities of 20 people.

HRANA also said that more than 60 protesters had been injured and 2,076 arrested during the unrest, which was sparked by an economic crisis and has spread to 27 of 31 provinces.

On Tuesday evening, Iranian semi-official media reported that a policeman was shot dead by what they called "rioters" in Malekshahi in the western province of Ilam, where there have been widespread protests and a violent crackdown by security forces in recent days.

Earlier, security forces were filmed firing tear gas during clashes with protesters who chanted slogans against Iran's clerical rulers at Tehran's Grand Bazaar.

The protests began on 28 December, when shopkeepers took to the streets of the capital to express their anger at another sharp fall in the value of the Iranian currency against the US dollar on the open market.

The rial has sunk to a record low over the past year and inflation has soared to 40% as sanctions over Iran's nuclear programme squeeze an economy also weakened by mismanagement and corruption.

University students soon joined the protests and they began spreading to other cities.

On Friday, President Donald Trump threatened US intervention if Iranian security forces killed peaceful protesters, declaring: "We are locked and loaded and ready to go."

The following day, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei - who has ultimate power - said that "rioters should be put in their place" and vowed not to "yield to the enemy".

Judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei echoed the comments on Monday, saying authorities would listen those who "legitimately and rightly have concerns about their livelihood" but also show no leniency towards "rioters".

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres was "deeply saddened by the reported loss of life and injuries resulting from clashes between security forces and protesters", and "underscores the need to prevent any further casualties", his spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters.

"All individuals must be allowed to protest peacefully and express their grievances," he added.

In the videos from Tuesday's protest in Tehran's Grand Bazaar, which were obtained by BBC Persian, a large crowd gathered on a covered street can be heard chanting "Death to the dictator" - a reference to Khamenei.

Later, the protesters are seen running away from a cloud of tear gas and shouting "Dishonourable" at a group of riot police nearby. Footage filmed from the roof of a neighbouring building shows the crowd fleeing the bazaar as more tear gas is fired.

Iran's hardline, semi-official Fars news agency said "sporadic gatherings" focused on price increases took place around the bazaar, and that police dispersed them into nearby alleyways.

Other videos from the capital showed demonstrations at the Yaft Abad market in southern Tehran and Caterpillar shopping mall in the southwest of the capital, as well as protesters gathered at the Azari junction.

In the evening, footage verified by BBC Persian showed a large crowd of protesters moving through the town of Abdanan, in Ilam province.

In one clip, a group of police officers standing on a rooftop are seen waving to people calling for their "support". Another clip showed protesters tearing open bags of rice and throwing the contents into the air.

At the same time, the semi-official Fars news agency said a police officer had been killed after being "directly hit by rioters' bullets" during a clash in the Malekshahi County area of Ilam, about 80km (50 miles) to the south-east.

Footage from Malekshahi posted earlier in the day appeared to show a bank on fire and men celebrating beside burning furniture, papers and tyres.

On Monday, President Masoud Pezeshkian's office said he had ordered the interior ministry to form a special delegation to investigate the unrest in Ilam.

It followed widespread outrage over video footage released on Sunday that appeared to show security forces storming the Imam Khomeini Hospital in the predominantly Kurdish city of Ilam, where activists said wounded protesters had been sheltering.

Amnesty International said on Tuesday that it had information that Revolutionary Guards and police special forces "used shotguns and fired tear gas into the grounds, smashed glass doors to gain access, and beat those inside, including medical workers".

"The Iranian security forces' attack... violates international law and exposes yet again how far the Iranian authorities are willing to go to crush dissent," the human rights group warned.

The US state department's Persian-language account on X called the raid on the hospital a "clear crime against humanity".

Kurdish human rights group Hengaw said the protesters being treated at the hospital were wounded when security forces opened fire on a demonstration outside a government compound in Malekshahi on Saturday.

It has said that five protesters were also killed in that incident, including a retired brigadier-general. Semi-official media have said three people, including a member of the security forces, were killed when "rioters" tried to enter a security facility.

Hengaw has also said that it has so far verified the killing of at least 27 people during the protests, including five children.

Iran Human Rights, a Norway-based group, has reported that at least 27 protesters, including five children, have been killed by security forces in eight provinces.

"The Islamic Republic has a well-documented record of bloody repression and mass killings of protesters in past uprisings. Now, as the regime is more unstable than ever and seriously fears for its survival, there is a grave concern that the scale of repression this time may be even more violent and widespread than before," its director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said.

The protests have been the most widespread since an uprising in 2022 sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman who was detained by morality police for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly.

More than 550 people were killed and 20,000 detained in a violent crackdown on those protests by security forces, according to human rights groups.

BBC

 

[BouncerGuy]

Violent clashes reported as Iran protests spread to more areas

There were violent clashes between anti-government protesters and security forces in several locations in Iran on Wednesday, as a wave of unrest sparked by the country's economic crisis continued for an 11th day.

Iran's semi-official Fars news agency, which is close to the Revolutionary Guards, said two policemen were shot and killed by armed individuals in the south-western town of Lordegan.

Videos posted on social media showed a tense stand-off between protesters and security forces, with the sound of gunfire in the background.

In footage from several other areas, security forces appear to fire guns and tear gas towards crowds of protesters, some of whom are throwing stones.

The protests have so far spread to 111 cities and towns across all 31 provinces, according to the US-based Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA).

It has reported that at least 34 protesters and four security personnel have been killed during the unrest, and that 2,200 protesters have been arrested.

BBC Persian has confirmed the deaths and identities of 21 people, while Iranian authorities have reported the deaths of five security personnel.

The protests began on 28 December, when shopkeepers took to the streets of the capital, Tehran, to express their anger at another sharp fall in the value of the Iranian currency, the rial, against the US dollar on the open market.

The rial has sunk to a record low over the past year and inflation has soared to 40% as sanctions over Iran's nuclear programme squeeze an economy also weakened by government mismanagement and corruption.

University students soon joined the protests and they began spreading to other cities, with crowds frequently heard chanting slogans against the country's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and sometimes in support of Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran's late former shah.

On Wednesday, videos verified by BBC Persian showed crowds protesting in Qazvin, north-west of Tehran, and chanting slogans including "Death to the dictator" - a reference to Khamenei - as well as "Long live the shah".

Footage from the Gulf port of Bandar Abbas, showed protesters chanting "Police force, support, support" before security forces disperse them.

In the Shia holy city of Mashhad, in the country's north-west, protesters were seen clashing with security forces and forcing them to retreat. Another video showed people chanting in support of the Pahlavi dynasty, which was overthrown by the 1979 Islamic revolution.

In the late afternoon, a large demonstration also took place in the south-western city of Abadan, near the border with Iraq, according to footage verified by BBC Persian, in which protesters chanted "Cannon, tanks, firecrackers! Mullahs must get lost", a reference to Iran's clerical leadership.

More footage filmed from a balcony in the city appeared to show security forces opening fire as they run away from advancing protesters, who are throwing stones and other objects.

As night fell, security forces were filmed firing tear gas to disperse a protest in Aligudarz, another western city, after a crowd had gathered in a square chanting "People's uprising, Viva!"

In Lordegan, Fars reported that two police officers were killed during a protest on Wednesday.

It added that the officers, whom it named as Hadi Azarsalim and Moslem Mahdavinasab, were shot dead by "armed individuals" who had been among a group of what it called "rioters".

It was not immediately possible to verify the report because the BBC and other independent international media are either not allowed to report from inside Iran or, if granted permission, face severe restrictions on their movements.

However, Lordegan has been the scene of violent clashes during the unrest, with two protesters killed there last Thursday.

Following a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Vice-President for Executive Affairs Mohammad Jafar Qaempanah said President Masoud Pezeshkian had ordered that "no security measures" be taken against peaceful protesters.

"Those who carry firearms, knives and machetes and who attack police stations and military sites are rioters, and we must distinguish protesters from rioters," he added.

State media also reported that the government had begun paying 71 million citizens a new monthly allowance equivalent to $7 (£5) to ease the pain of the high cost of living.

Meanwhile, judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei told police commanders that "rioters" would face "rapid" prosecution and punishment in order to serve as a deterrent.

Khamenei - who, as supreme leader, has ultimate power in Iran - said on Saturday that authorities should "speak with the protesters" but that "rioters should be put in their place".

His comments came after President Donald Trump threatened that the US would intervene if Iranian security forces killed peaceful protesters, saying: "We are locked and loaded."

Dr Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East programme at the London-based think tank Chatham House, told the BBC that the protests had quickly become political and were being driven by deep-seated anger among the public.

"People are fed up. They have no prospects for the future. Day-to-day life is becoming much more difficult," she said.

"If there is more momentum and if more people come out, [the protests] will be more serious and, of course, there the government response becomes more violent."

Sadegh Zibakalam, a political science professor at the University of Tehran, said the Iranian authorities might be resisting a harsher crackdown because of Trump's threats.

"Some Iranian leaders - Revolutionary Guard commanders and security forces - maybe they are a bit more cautious and are not in a hurry to suppress the crowd this time fearing it may create an American intervention," he told the BBC.

The protests have been the most widespread since an uprising in 2022 sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman who was detained by morality police for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly.

More than 550 people were killed and 20,000 detained in a violent crackdown on those protests by security forces, according to human rights groups.

BBC

 

[BouncerGuy]

Iran protesters defy crackdown as videos show violent clashes

Protesters in Iran defied a deadly government crackdown on Saturday night, taking to the streets despite reports suggesting hundreds of people have been killed or wounded by security forces in the past three days.

Verified videos and eyewitness accounts seen by the BBC appeared to show the government was ramping up its response, as it continues an overarching internet blackout.

The country's attorney general, Mohammad Movahedi Azad, said on Saturday that anyone protesting would be considered an "enemy of God" - an offence that carries the death penalty.

Hundreds of protesters are believed to have arrested since demonstrations began more than two weeks ago.

The protests were sparked by soaring inflation, and have spread to more than 100 cities and towns across every province in Iran. Now protesters are calling for an end to the clerical rulership of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Khamenei has dismissed demonstrators as a "bunch of vandals" seeking to "please" US President Donald Trump.

The Iranian government has imposed the internet shutdown in an effort to stop the protests. Iran's data infrastructure is tightly controlled by the state and security authorities. Internet access is largely limited to a domestic intranet, with restricted links to the outside world.

Over the past few years, the government has progressively curtailed access to the global internet. However, during the current round of protests, authorities have, for the first time, not only shut down access to the worldwide internet but also severely restricted the domestic intranet.

An expert told BBC Persian that the current shutdown is more severe than that imposed during the "Women, Life, Freedom" uprising three years ago. Alireza Manafi, an internet researcher, said internet access in Iran, in any form, was now "almost completely down".

He added the only likely way to connect to the outside world was via Starlink, but warned users to exercise caution, as such connections could potentially be traced by the government.

The BBC and most other international news organisations are also unable to report from inside Iran, making obtaining and verifying information difficult.

Nonetheless, some video footage has emerged, and the BBC has spoken to people on the ground.

Verified video from Saturday night showed protesters taking over the streets in Tehran's Gisha district. Several videos, verified and confirmed as recent by BBC Verify, show clashes between protesters and security forces on Vakil Abad Boulevard in Mashhad, Iran's second largest city.

Masked protesters are seen taking cover behind wheelie bins and bonfires, while a row of security forces is seen in the distance. A vehicle that appears to be a bus is engulfed in flames.

Multiple gunshots and what sounds like banging on pots and pans can be heard as a green laser beam lights up the scene.

A figure standing on a nearby footbridge is visible in the footage and appears to fire multiple gunshots in several directions as a couple of people take cover behind a fence on the side of the boulevard.

Other videos have also emerged from the capital Tehran. One video, authenticated by BBC Verify, shows a large group of protesters and the sound of banging on pots in Punak Square in west Tehran, which has been one of the hotspots of protests this week.

Another clip, filmed in the Heravi district in north-east Tehran and confirmed by BBC Persian and BBC Verify, shows a crowd of protesters marching on a road and calling for the end of the clerical establishment.

'US ready to help'

On Saturday, Trump wrote on social media: "Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!"

He did not elaborate, but US media reported that Trump had been briefed on options for military strikes in the country. The New York Times and Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that the briefings had taken place, with the Journal describing them as "preliminary discussions". An unnamed official told the WSJ there was no "imminent threat" to Iran, the paper wrote.

Last year, the US conducted airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

US Senator Lindsey Graham posted several times in support of the protests on social media, writing: "To the Iranian people: your long nightmare is soon coming to a close."

Their "bravery and determination to end your oppression" had been "noticed" by the US president, he said. "Help is on the way," he added in the same post.

Earlier, he said: "To the regime leadership: your brutality against the great people of Iran will not go unchallenged."

As dawn broke on Sunday in Iran, Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran's last shah (king), whose return protesters have been calling for, posted a video to X.

Its caption said: "Know that you are not alone. Your compatriots around the world are proudly shouting your voice... In particular, President Trump, as the leader of the free world, has carefully observed your indescribable bravery and has announced that he is ready to help you."

He added: "I know that I will soon be by your side."

US-based Pahlavi has been calling for people to take to the streets, and has said he is preparing to return to the country.

He claimed the Islamic republic was facing a "severe shortage of mercenaries" and that "many armed and security forces have left their workplaces or disobeyed orders to suppress the people". The BBC could not verify these claims.

Pahlavi encouraged people to continue protesting on Sunday evening, but to stay in groups or with crowds and not "endanger your lives".

Amnesty International said it was analysing "distressing reports that security forces had intensified their unlawful use of lethal force against protesters" since Thursday.

UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said those speaking out against Khamenei's government should not face "the threat of violence or reprisals".

Since Friday night, staff at three hospitals have told the BBC they had been overwhelmed with casualties. The BBC Persian service has verified that 70 bodies were brought to just one hospital in Rasht city on Friday night.

BBC Persian has confirmed the identities of 26 people killed, including six children. Members of the security forces have also been killed, with one human rights group putting the number at 14.

A hospital worker in Tehran described "very horrible scenes", saying there were so many wounded that staff did not have time to perform CPR, and that morgues did not have enough room to store the bodies of those who had died.

"Around 38 people died. Many as soon as they reached the emergency beds... direct shots to the heads of the young people, to their hearts as well. Many of them didn't even make it to the hospital."

The hospital worker said the dead or wounded were young people. "Couldn't look at many of them, they were 20-25 years old."

The protests have been the most widespread since an uprising in 2022 sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman who was detained by morality police for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly.

More than 550 people were killed and 20,000 detained by security forces over several months, according to human rights groups.

BBC

 

[Kianig89]

Things not looking good in Iran, the west might finally pull the rug under Khamenei

 

[Red-Indian]

Things not looking good in Iran, the west might finally pull the rug under Khamenei

I hope the West don't intervene. The Iranian people look capable of getting this done on their own. Any military intervention from the US would justify what the regime has been saying about their own people and cause years of chaos.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

I think the protests have fizzled down a bit. There is obviously censorship but from the images filtering through the last few days seems to be less than the current anti ICE protests in USA.

 

[globetrotter]

Trump wants to restore democracy in Iran...

Will he hijack Khomeni like Venezuelan president?

 

[Ball Blazer]

Trump wants to restore democracy in Iran...

Will he hijack Khomeni like Venezuelan president?

Lol. he cares less about democracy. USA last attacked Iran's nuclear sites so this is what it is about. He's scared.

 

[globetrotter]

Protester tears down Iranian flag at embassy in London

 

[Ball Blazer]

Trump says US military considering ‘very strong options’ for Iran

United States President Donald Trump has said that Washington is considering “strong options” in response to the protests in Iran, including possible military intervention.

“We’re looking at it very seriously. The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options. We’ll make a determination,” he told reporters on board Air Force One late on Sunday.

A nationwide internet blackout has also persisted for more than 72 hours, according to monitoring groups.

Trump was scheduled to meet with senior advisers on Tuesday to discuss options for Iran, a ⁠US official told the Reuters news agency. The Wall Street Journal reported that options included military strikes, using secret cyberweapons, widening sanctions and providing online help to anti-government sources.

He said Iran’s leadership had called, seeking “to negotiate” after his threats of military action, and that a “meeting is being set up”.

But he added that “we may have to act before a meeting”.

Trump’s latest threat came as Iranian leaders issued a stark warning against military intervention, with Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf saying “In the case of an attack on Iran, the occupied territories [Israel] as well as all US bases and ships will be our legitimate target”.

The protests began on December 28, when merchants at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar closed their shops over the Iranian rial’s plummeting value. The demonstrations quickly spread nationwide, with grievances evolving from economic concerns over soaring living costs to broader opposition against Iran’s clerical establishment, who have governed the country since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

According to Iranian state media, at least 109 security personnel have been killed during the unrest, and authorities have not confirmed the number of demonstrators who have lost their lives.

But opposition activists based outside the country say the death toll is higher and includes hundreds of protesters.

Trump said on Sunday that he plans to speak with billionaire Elon Musk about restoring internet in Iran.

“He’s very good at that kind of thing, he’s got a very good company,” Trump told reporters in response ⁠to a question about whether he would engage with Musk’s SpaceX company, which offers a satellite internet service called Starlink that has been used in Iran.

The unrest in Iran is unfolding as Trump pursues an assertive foreign policy, having abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and discussing acquiring Greenland by purchase or force.

The US leader on Sunday also spoke on his plans for Venezuela and Greenland.

Trump confirmed he would be meeting with Venezuelan opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Global oil companies will also be “safe” if they invest in Venezuela, he said, repeating a pledge made last week during a White House meeting with oil executives.

“There are guarantees they’re going to be safe,” he said. “They had problems in the past because they didn’t have Trump as president. They had stupid people.”

On Greenland, Trump called for the Danish Arctic territory to “make a deal”, and said “we are talking about acquiring it, not making a short term deal”.

Trump repeated his previous – and unproven – claims that China and Russia had deployed “destroyers and submarines all over the place” in the waters around Greenland. The territory’s defence force, he said, was made up of “two dogsleds”.

Trump, who has previously said that US annexation of Greenland is necessary for Washington’s self -defence, said Russia and China will take Greenland if the US does not.

“I’m not letting that happen,” he told reporters. “I would love to make a deal with them. It’s easier, but one way or another we’re going to have Greenland.”

Trump says US military considering ‘very strong options’ for Iran

US president says Washington is closely monitoring protests in Iran and considering possible military intervention.

www.aljazeera.com

 

[Hitman]

Hope things get better there.

 

[Devadwal]

Another coup government is coming in Asia after Bangladesh, Pakistan by USA.

They Tried in india but failed miserably. India democracy and judiciary is too strong to dictated by USA or any power in the World.

 

[Bhaijaan]

US objective is to have a cooperating regime in Iran that will not pursue ambitions of having nuclear bombs which is a threat to US-Israeli interests in the region. If protestors are unable to bring about a regime change by themselves, Trump is likely to intervene.

 

[Ball Blazer]

Trump will intervene to get an advantage. He is greedy. Just like he intervened in Pakistan affairs to get a plethora of benefits through Shehbaz and Munir

 

[globetrotter]

US already hit Russia by taking control of Venezuelan oil and capturing their oil tankers.....

If US is successful in regime change in Iran, then US have control of Iranian oil too... that means US will control half of the world's oil supply which will be huge setback for China.

Things are moving fast towards 3rd world war