Iran Protests Enter Third Week as Death Toll Rises and Parliament Issues Stark Warnings

BY EMMANUEL OGBONNA

Nationwide protests challenging Iran’s ruling theocracy stretched into a third week on Sunday, with large crowds reported in Tehran and Mashhad as violence linked to the demonstrations has left at least 116 people dead, according to activist groups. The unrest, sparked by economic grievances, has evolved into one of the most sustained challenges to the Islamic Republic in recent years.

With internet access largely shut down and phone lines severed across much of the country, confirming events on the ground has become increasingly difficult. Still, reports compiled by the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency indicate that the crackdown has intensified, with more than 2,600 people detained since the protests began. Families and activists abroad fear that the information blackout is providing cover for a harsher response by Iran’s security forces.

As tensions escalated domestically, Iran’s leadership also adopted a sharper tone toward foreign powers. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf warned that U.S. military forces and Israel would be considered “legitimate targets” if Washington were to strike Iran, a threat delivered during a heated parliamentary session broadcast live on state television. Lawmakers rushed toward the dais chanting “Death to America!” as Qalibaf praised police, the Revolutionary Guard and its volunteer Basij force for standing firm against demonstrators.

“The people of Iran should know that we will deal with them in the most severe way and punish those who are arrested,” Qalibaf said, adding that Iran would not wait to respond after an attack but would act on what it deems clear signs of a threat. He explicitly included U.S. bases, ships and allied facilities in the region as potential targets.

The warning came amid heightened rhetoric from Washington. President Donald Trump publicly voiced support for Iran’s protesters, writing on social media that the country was “looking at freedom, perhaps like never before,” and that the United States stood ready to help. Major U.S. newspapers reported, citing anonymous officials, that Trump had been presented with military options related to Iran, though no final decision had been made. The State Department reinforced the message with a blunt warning that the president should not be underestimated when he issues threats.

Despite the aggressive language, analysts note that any Iranian decision to escalate militarily would rest with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, now 86, and would carry significant risks. Iran’s air defenses were badly damaged during a 12-day conflict with Israel in June, underscoring the country’s vulnerabilities. The U.S. military has said its forces in the Middle East are positioned to defend American interests, with key assets including the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar and the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet in Bahrain. Iran previously targeted Al Udeid in June, highlighting how quickly regional tensions can flare.

Israel has been closely monitoring developments. An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed Iran in a call overnight with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Inside Iran, scattered but persistent demonstrations continued despite the heavy security presence. Videos believed to have been transmitted via satellite links showed protesters gathering in northern Tehran’s Punak neighborhood, waving lit mobile phones, banging metal objects and setting off fireworks as authorities blocked streets. Other footage appeared to show peaceful marches and motorists honking horns in support.

Activists described the protests in Tehran as short-lived and fluid, a tactic adopted to avoid mass arrests amid intense surveillance. Reports indicated drones overhead and visible movements by security forces around known protest sites, signaling constant monitoring.

In Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city and home to the Imam Reza shrine, footage circulating online appeared to show more confrontational scenes, with burning debris and overturned dumpsters used to block roads as protesters clashed with security forces. Demonstrations were also reported in Kerman, southeast of the capital. The presence of unrest in Mashhad carries particular symbolic weight given its religious significance to Shiite Islam and the Islamic Republic’s ideological foundations.

State television sought to counter the images by airing live reports from calmer streets in several cities, complete with date stamps, while avoiding coverage from Tehran and Mashhad. It also broadcast scenes of pro-government rallies in cities such as Qom and Qazvin. Senior security official Ali Larijani appeared on state TV accusing some protesters of acts he likened to those of the Islamic State group. The broadcaster aired funerals of slain security personnel and reported that six more had been killed in Kermanshah, showing images of body bags and a morgue to underscore the toll on security forces.

Opposition figures abroad have continued to call for action. Iran’s exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi urged demonstrators to return to the streets on Sunday, encouraging them to carry Iran’s pre-revolutionary lion-and-sun flag and other national symbols as a way of reclaiming public spaces. While some protesters have chanted slogans supporting the former shah, it remains unclear whether this reflects backing for Pahlavi himself or a broader yearning for life before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. His past expressions of support for Israel have also drawn criticism, particularly after the recent war.

The protests first erupted on Dec. 28 following the sharp collapse of the Iranian rial, which has plunged to more than 1.4 million to the dollar as the economy buckles under international sanctions tied in part to Iran’s nuclear program. What began as economic anger has since broadened into open defiance of the country’s clerical leadership, setting the stage for a volatile confrontation whose outcome remains uncertain.