Tehran — Iran warned that any U.S. attack would trigger strikes on Israel and American military sites across the region, escalating tensions as nationwide protests and an internet blackout grip the country and regional capitals brace for potential spillover.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf told lawmakers that Israel and U.S. bases would be “legitimate targets” if President Donald Trump orders military action, state media reported Sunday.
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Israel is on high alert for possible U.S. intervention in support of the Iranian protest movement, according to people present at Israeli security consultations over the weekend. They did not specify what the heightened posture entails.
The warning comes amid a deepening crackdown inside Iran. Rights groups report dozens of deaths since Thursday, and Norway-based Iran Human Rights said at least 51 people have been killed, adding the true toll is likely higher. The group posted images it said showed bodies of protesters on the floor of Alghadir hospital in eastern Tehran, calling them further evidence of “excessive and lethal” force. Amnesty International said it is analyzing “distressing reports” of intensified unlawful lethal force against demonstrators.
Connectivity watchdog NetBlocks reported virtually no internet access nationwide since Thursday, complicating efforts to verify claims and videos circulating on social media. An AFP journalist described deserted, darkened streets in Tehran, where a cafe manager shutting early said, “The area is not safe.”
Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene and warned Iran’s rulers against using force, saying the United States stands “ready to help.” In a phone call Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed potential U.S. intervention in Iran, according to an Israeli source present for the conversation. A U.S. official confirmed the call took place but did not disclose topics.
Israel has not signaled it intends to intervene as protests spread, though tensions with Tehran remain acute over Iran’s nuclear and missile programs. The two fought a 12-day war in June in which the United States joined Israeli airstrikes, further hardening enmity between the arch-foes.
In an interview with the Economist published Friday, Netanyahu warned of “horrible consequences” for Iran if it attacks Israel, adding: “Everything else, I think we should see what is happening inside Iran.”
Videos verified by AFP showed fireworks, banging pots and chants for the ousted monarchy in Tehran on Saturday night. Other videos, which AFP could not immediately verify, showed protests elsewhere in the capital with demonstrators shouting anti-government slogans. Additional footage on Persian-language channels and social media suggested large gatherings in Mashhad, Tabriz and the holy city of Qom. In Hamedan, a man was seen waving a Shah-era flag; the same emblem briefly flew over Iran’s embassy in London after protesters reached the balcony, witnesses told AFP.
Reza Pahlavi, the U.S.-based son of Iran’s deposed shah, urged “targeted protests” and told supporters to “prepare to seize and hold city centres” in a social media video. The authorities, who initially cited economic grievances and called for restraint, have since hardened their stance. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday denounced “vandals” doing Trump’s bidding.
State television aired funerals for members of the security forces it said were killed in the unrest, as well as images of buildings, including a mosque, set ablaze. Iran’s army vowed in a statement to “vigorously protect and safeguard national interests” against an “enemy seeking to disrupt order and peace.”
International pressure is mounting. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Europe backs the protests and condemned “violent repression.”
With the start of Iran’s workweek on Sunday, daily life remained upended by the blackout. “I was unable to check my work email,” a Tehran resident said, adding: “This is the price to pay before the victory of the people.”
The protests pose one of the most serious challenges to Iran’s theocratic leadership since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, unfolding against a volatile backdrop that now includes explicit threats of regional retaliation should the crisis draw the United States and Israel into open conflict.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
