U.S. President Donald Trump warned the United States would take “very strong action” if Iranian authorities begin hanging people as part of their crackdown on a nationwide uprising, escalating a war of words over the spiraling unrest and its toll.
In an interview with CBS News, Trump was asked about reports that executions could begin as soon as today. “We will take very strong action if they do such a thing,” he said, adding in a video clip released online: “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.”
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Trump reiterated a message he had posted on social media that “help is on its way” for Iranian protesters. He later told reporters he would soon receive a briefing on the situation. “The killing looks like it’s significant, but we don’t know yet for certain,” he said. “I’ll know within 20 minutes — and we’ll act accordingly.” He also noted uncertainty over the death toll: “I hear numbers — look, one death is too much — but I hear much lower numbers and then I hear much higher numbers.”
Iran pushed back forcefully in a letter to the U.N. Security Council, accusing Trump of inciting violence and threatening the country’s sovereignty and national security. Amir-Saeid Iravani, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, wrote that the United States and Israel “bear direct and undeniable legal responsibility for the resulting loss of innocent civilian lives, particularly among the youth.” The letter, also sent to U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, was written in response to Trump’s social media comments.
The human toll of the unrest has become a central, contested issue. An Iranian official, speaking without being named, said about 2,000 people had been killed over two weeks of nationwide protests — the first time authorities have acknowledged such a high figure — while blaming “terrorists” for the deaths of both demonstrators and security personnel. The official did not provide a breakdown.
Rights groups warned the Islamic Republic appears poised to use the death penalty to quash dissent. Tehran prosecutors have said some detainees will face capital charges of “moharebeh,” or waging war against God, a tactic authorities have used in past crackdowns. Amnesty International said concerns are mounting that authorities will resort to swift trials and arbitrary executions to crush and deter protests.
Iran Human Rights, a Norway-based NGO, highlighted the case of Erfan Soltani, 26, reportedly arrested last week in the Tehran satellite city of Karaj and, according to a family source, sentenced to death with execution possible as early as today. The claim could not be independently verified.
The standoff underscores the high stakes for Iran’s leadership and for foreign capitals weighing how to respond. Trump has vowed U.S. involvement if protesters are killed — a threshold opponents say was crossed days ago — while Iran’s leaders accuse Washington of fomenting instability and preparing punitive action. With the prospect of executions looming, rights monitors and diplomats warn that any escalation could deepen a crisis already marked by mass arrests, internet blackouts and a mounting toll.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
