Iranian supporters gather in front of a large Iranian flag in St Peter’s Square. Protests have erupted globally after the news of people being killed by the Islamic Republic regime while taking part in protests across Iran.
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Tehran on Sunday threatened to retaliate against Israel and U.S. bases in the event of U.S. strikes on Iran, delivering the warning to Washington as Israeli sources said Israel was on high alert for the possibility of any U.S. intervention.
With Iran’s clerical establishment facing the biggest anti-government protests since 2022, U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene in recent days, warning Iranian leaders against using force against demonstrators.
On Saturday, Trump said the U.S. stands “ready to help”.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, speaking in parliament on Sunday, warned the United States against “a miscalculation”.
“Let us be clear: in the case of an attack on Iran, the occupied territories (Israel) as well as all U.S. bases and ships will be our legitimate target,” said Qalibaf, a former commander in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
Death toll increases
Three Israeli sources, who were present for Israeli security consultations over the weekend, said Israel was on a high alert footing, but did not elaborate on what that meant.
An Israeli government spokesperson declined to comment. The Israeli military didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Israel and Iran fought a 12-day war in June, in which the U.S. joined Israel in launching airstrikes. Iran retaliated for those U.S. strikes by firing missiles at an American air base in Qatar.
Protests have spread across Iran since December 28, beginning in response to soaring inflation, and quickly turning political with protesters demanding an end to clerical rule. Authorities accuse the U.S. and Israel of fomenting unrest.
The flow of information from Iran has been hampered by an internet blackout imposed by the authorities since Thursday. A U.S.-based rights group, HRANA, said the death toll had climbed to 116, mostly protesters but including 37 members of the security forces.
Iranian state TV broadcast funeral processions in western Iranian cities like Gachsaran and Yasuj for security forces killed in protests.
A social media video posted on Saturday showed large crowds gathered in Tehran’s Punak neighbourhood at nighttime, drumming rhythmically on a bridge or other metal objects in an apparent sign of protest. Reuters verified the location.
Iran’s rulers have quelled repeated bouts of unrest, most recently in 2022 over the death in custody of a woman accused of violating dress codes.
U.S. official sees ‘endurance game’ in Iran
Trump, posting on social media on Saturday, said: “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!”
In a phone call on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the possibility of U.S. intervention in Iran, according to an Israeli source who was present for the conversation.
A U.S. official confirmed the two men spoke but did not say what topics they discussed.
A senior U.S. intelligence official on Saturday described the situation in Iran as an “endurance game”. The opposition was trying to keep up pressure until key government figures either flee or switch sides, while the authorities were trying to sow enough fear to clear the streets without giving the United States justification to intervene, the official said.
Israel has not signalled a desire to intervene, with tensions between the two arch-foes high over Israeli concerns about Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.
In an interview with the Economist published on Friday, Netanyahu said there would be horrible consequences for Iran if it were to attack Israel. Alluding to the protests, he said: “Everything else, I think we should see what is happening inside Iran.”
