Iran Warns of Harsh Crackdown as Protests Spread and Death Toll Climbs

BY EMMANUEL OGBONNA

Iran’s leadership signaled Friday that security forces would move forcefully to suppress growing nationwide protests, openly challenging U.S. President Donald Trump’s vow to support demonstrators as the reported death toll rose to at least 50 and thousands were detained.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei sharply criticized Trump in remarks broadcast on state television, accusing him of having hands “stained with the blood of Iranians,” as a crowd of supporters chanted “Death to America!” Iranian state media repeatedly labeled protesters as “terrorists,” language that activists and analysts said suggested authorities were preparing the ground for a sweeping and potentially violent crackdown similar to those seen after past waves of unrest.

Addressing supporters at his compound in Tehran, Khamenei dismissed the demonstrations as foreign-inspired, accusing protesters of damaging their own neighborhoods to curry favor with Washington. He said demonstrators were acting “in order to please the president of the United States,” and told Trump to focus on problems inside his own country rather than Iran.

The rhetoric was reinforced by Iran’s judiciary chief, Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, who warned that punishment for those involved in the protests would be “decisive, maximum and without any legal leniency,” underscoring the government’s increasingly hard-line stance.

There was no immediate official response from Washington. Trump, however, has repeatedly warned Tehran that the United States would respond if Iranian authorities kill peaceful protesters, a threat that has drawn heightened attention following a recent U.S. military operation that seized Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

Despite an extensive government-imposed communications blackout, videos circulated online by activists appeared to show protesters gathering overnight in Tehran and other cities, chanting slogans against the Islamic Republic and lighting bonfires amid debris-strewn streets. The authenticity of the footage could not be independently verified, but it suggested that demonstrations continued into Friday morning even as authorities cut off internet access and international phone calls.

Iranian state media claimed the unrest was driven by “terrorist agents” linked to the United States and Israel, alleging they set fires and provoked violence. Officials acknowledged casualties but provided few details, making it difficult to assess the true scale of the unrest under the communications shutdown.

The protests began in late December amid deepening economic distress, triggered by the collapse of Iran’s currency and rising prices after years of sanctions and the fallout from a brief but intense conflict earlier this year. What started as demonstrations over living conditions has evolved into the most serious challenge to Iran’s leadership in several years, with chants increasingly targeting the country’s political system and senior leaders.

The unrest has also become a test of the influence of exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, whose father, the last shah of Iran, fled the country ahead of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Pahlavi called for mass demonstrations Thursday night and urged supporters to return to the streets again Friday evening. His appeal appeared to galvanize protesters, some of whom openly chanted slogans praising the shah — a striking development in a country where such expressions were once punishable by death.

According to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, at least 50 people have been killed since the demonstrations began, while more than 2,270 others have been arrested. The figures could not be independently confirmed, but rights groups warn the toll may rise as security forces intensify their response.

Analysts say Pahlavi’s call for coordinated demonstrations marked a turning point. Holly Dagres, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said social media activity before the blackout indicated that many Iranians were responding to his appeal with the aim of toppling the Islamic Republic. She added that the internet shutdown appeared designed to prevent the outside world from witnessing the protests and could also provide cover for security forces to use lethal force.

Witnesses said that at precisely 8 p.m. Thursday, neighborhoods across Tehran erupted with chants of “Death to the dictator!” and “Death to the Islamic Republic!” In some areas, crowds shouted, “This is the last battle! Pahlavi will return!” Thousands were reported to be in the streets before communications were abruptly severed nationwide.

In a statement released before the blackout, Pahlavi accused the government of silencing the population by cutting internet access, landlines and possibly satellite signals. He urged European leaders to join Trump in pressuring Tehran and called on them to use technical, financial and diplomatic tools to restore communications so the voices of protesters could be heard.

Pahlavi said he would outline further plans depending on the scale of public participation. His ties to Israel have drawn criticism in the past, particularly after a brief war between Israel and Iran earlier this year, and it remains unclear whether chants praising the shah reflect direct support for him or broader nostalgia for life before the Islamic Republic.

The communications blackout also appeared to disrupt Iran’s own media operations. State television’s morning broadcast Friday marked the first official acknowledgment of the protests, with officials asserting that demonstrators had engaged in widespread violence, including setting cars, motorcycles, buses, fire trucks and metro facilities ablaze. State media later reported that six people were killed overnight in the city of Hamedan, southwest of Tehran.

International reaction followed swiftly. The European Union and Germany condemned violence against demonstrators and called on Iranian authorities to respect the right to peaceful protest.

Iran has faced repeated waves of unrest in recent years, often met with lethal force. As sanctions tightened and the economy deteriorated, pressure on the government intensified, culminating in the latest demonstrations after the rial plunged to historic lows in December.

Trump has renewed his warnings in recent days, saying Iran has been clearly told it would face severe consequences if it kills protesters. In a radio interview aired Thursday, he said Tehran would “have to pay hell” if violence escalated. He declined to say whether he would meet with Pahlavi, suggesting it was too early to determine who might emerge as a leader of the opposition.

In a separate television interview, Trump went further, speculating that the 86-year-old Khamenei might be preparing to flee the country as unrest grows. “It’s getting very bad,” he said, as protests continued to test the resilience of Iran’s ruling system under unprecedented economic and political strain.