Iran unrest death toll tops 500 as Tehran warns U.S. bases would be targets if Trump intervenes
More than 500 people have been killed in two weeks of nationwide protests in Iran, a U.S.-based rights group said, as a senior Iranian official warned that any American intervention would put U.S. military bases and Israel in the crosshairs.
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HRANA, which compiles reports from activists inside and outside Iran, said it has verified the deaths of 490 protesters and 48 security personnel, with more than 10,600 arrests since demonstrations erupted on Dec. 28 over soaring prices and quickly broadened into anti-government unrest. Iran has not released an official toll, and the figures could not be independently verified amid a widespread internet blackout since Thursday.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, a former commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, warned Washington against “a miscalculation.” He said that in the event of an attack on Iran, “the occupied territories (Israel) as well as all U.S. bases and ships will be our legitimate target.”
President Donald Trump has repeatedly signaled the U.S. could step in if Iranian authorities use force against demonstrators. “Iran is looking at freedom, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!” he wrote on social media.
Footage posted on social media from Tehran showed night-time marches with crowds clapping and chanting, while videos from the northeastern city of Mashhad showed fires burning in streets and explosions audible in the background. The videos could not be independently confirmed due to connectivity restrictions.
Iranian state TV broadcast images of dozens of body bags at the Tehran coroner’s office and framed the dead as victims of “armed terrorists.” It also aired funeral processions in western cities for members of the security forces, reporting 30 burials planned in Isfahan and six personnel killed in Kermanshah.
Iran’s leadership has accused the United States and Israel of fomenting unrest. President Masoud Pezeshkian said on state television that Iran’s enemies had brought in “terrorists … who set mosques on fire … attack banks, and public properties,” urging families to keep youths from joining “rioters and terrorists.” He added that the government was ready to listen to grievances and address economic strains.
Israel, meanwhile, is monitoring the turmoil closely. Three Israeli sources familiar with recent security consultations said the country remained on high alert for the prospect of U.S. intervention. An Israeli military official said the protests were an internal Iranian matter, but the military stood ready to respond “with power if need be.”
In a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed potential American options regarding Iran, according to an Israeli source briefed on the conversation. Netanyahu told his cabinet that Israel is tracking events and said, “We all hope that the Persian nation will soon be freed from the yoke of tyranny.”
Analysts cautioned that while the unrest is the most serious since 2022, it may not topple the system. “It’s more likely the state puts these protests down eventually but emerges weaker,” said Alan Eyre, a former U.S. diplomat and Iran expert, noting the cohesion of Iran’s elite and the absence of an organized opposition.
Exiled opposition figures urged demonstrators to keep up pressure. Reza Pahlavi, the U.S.-based son of Iran’s last shah, praised the “indescribable bravery” of protesters and urged them not to leave the streets. Maryam Rajavi, head of the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran, said Iranians had “asserted control of public spaces and reshaped Iran’s political landscape.”
The scale of the crackdown, the reach of the protests, and the communications blackout will be key indicators of how the crisis unfolds in coming days. For now, the death toll reported by HRANA, the charged rhetoric from Tehran, and signs of regional vigilance point to a volatile confrontation with high stakes for Iran and its neighbors.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
