Iran has warned U.S. allies in the Middle East that it will strike American bases on their soil if Washington attacks Iran, according to a senior Iranian official, underscoring a sharp escalation in tensions surrounding a widening domestic crackdown and regional standoff.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Tehran has asked U.S. partners in the region to “prevent Washington from attacking Iran,” and delivered a direct message that bases hosting U.S. forces in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey would be targeted in the event of a U.S. strike.
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The official added that direct contacts between Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff have been suspended amid the mounting crisis.
President Donald Trump signaled a harder line, telling CBS News the United States would take “very strong action” if executions of detainees begin. In a separate video clip released online, he said, “When they start killing thousands of people—and now you’re telling me about hanging. We’ll see how that’s going to work out for them.” The interview was recorded during his visit to a manufacturing plant in Michigan, where he also delivered remarks on the economy.
Trump reiterated a message he had posted on social media—“help is on its way” for Iranian protesters—and, when asked what he meant, told reporters they would “have to figure that out.” He said military action remains among the options he is weighing to punish Iran over the crackdown.
Protests erupted amid a deepening economic crisis, posing the biggest internal challenge to Iran’s rulers in at least three years and coinciding with intensifying international pressure over Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
Trump said he canceled all meetings with Iranian officials until the “senseless killing” of protesters stops, later urging Iranians to “save the name of the killers and the abusers … because they’ll pay a very big price.”
Rights groups and officials offered sharply different assessments of the death toll. The U.S.-based HRANA group said it had verified 2,571 deaths in the unrest, including 2,403 protesters, 147 government-affiliated individuals, 12 people under 18 and nine non-protester civilians. An Iranian official separately said about 2,000 people had been killed, the first time authorities have acknowledged such a high toll. Trump said it remained unclear how many had died, adding, “I hear much lower numbers and then I hear much higher numbers.” He later told reporters, “The killing looks like it’s significant, but we don’t know yet for certain.”
Iran pushed back against U.S. statements in a letter to the U.N. Security Council from Ambassador Amir-Saeid Iravani, accusing Washington of encouraging political destabilization and inciting violence. “The United States and the Israeli regime bear direct and undeniable legal responsibility for the resulting loss of innocent civilian lives, particularly among the youth,” Iravani wrote. The letter was also sent to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and addressed a social media post by Trump.
Inside Iran, authorities have signaled a rapid judicial response. Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, during a visit to a Tehran prison holding protest detainees, said swift punishment for those “who beheaded or burned people” was vital to prevent a repeat of violence. Prosecutors in Tehran said some suspects would face capital charges of moharebeh—waging war against God.
Amnesty International warned of the risk of “swift trials and arbitrary executions to crush and deter dissent.” The Norway-based Iran Human Rights highlighted the case of Erfan Soltani, 26, arrested last week in the Tehran satellite city of Karaj, who a family source said had already been sentenced to death and could be executed as early as today.
The Iranian warning to U.S. allies expands the potential battlefield beyond Iran’s borders, putting key American installations across the Gulf and in Turkey on notice even as diplomatic channels fall silent and the death toll from the protests remains contested.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
