Iran has warned it will retaliate if attacked by the United States, while reports from the BBC and human rights organizations speak of an increasingly tragic balance of the protests that are sweeping the country. Medical sources have told the BBC that over 100 bodies have been delivered to two hospitals in the last two days, while the real number of victims at the national level is suspected to be much higher.
According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), 490 protesters and 48 members of the security forces have been verified dead, while over 10,600 people have been arrested during the two weeks of unrest. Protesters again defied the violent crackdown by the security forces on Saturday evening, while the Iranian police chief declared on state television that the government's response has become harsher.
The protests began in Tehran over high inflation but have morphed into open calls for an end to the clerical rule of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran's prosecutor general has declared that any protester will be considered an "enemy of God," a charge that carries the death penalty, while Khamenei has called the demonstrators "a gang of vandals" seeking to "please" US President Donald Trump.
On the other hand, the US has threatened to take action against Iran for the killing of protesters. President Trump stated that the US "stands ready to help", without clarifying what measures are being considered. According to sources from CBS and the Wall Street Journal, options ranging from military strikes to cyberwarfare and new sanctions have been discussed at the table.
The speaker of the Iranian parliament warned that in the event of a US attack, legitimate targets would be Israel as well as US military bases and ships in the region. Meanwhile, hospitals in several cities report being overwhelmed with the wounded and dead. BBC Persian has verified that 70 bodies were brought to the city of Rasht alone overnight, while in Tehran doctors are talking about direct shots to the head and chest of young people.
The Iranian government has imposed an internet blockade since Thursday, making it difficult to verify information. However, published images show rows of body bags in the Kahrizak area of Tehran, where the BBC reports that around 182 wrapped bodies can be seen, many of them left in the open.
