Iran protest: At least 500 dead in crackdown; Tehran warns US, Israel of consequences

A crackdown on nationwide protests in Iran has killed at least 538 people, with fears that the actual death toll could be far higher, activists said on Sunday, as Tehran warned that the US military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if Washington uses force to protect demonstrators.

More than 10,600 people have been detained over the past two weeks, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which relies on activists inside Iran to crosscheck information and has provided accurate figures in previous rounds of unrest.


Iranian authorities have not released any official nationwide casualty figures. The Associated Press said it was unable to independently verify the toll due to an ongoing internet blackout and restrictions on international phone calls.

Internet blackout and fears of escalation

With internet services shut down and phone lines cut, assessing the scale of protests from outside Iran has become increasingly difficult. Rights groups and observers fear the information blackout is emboldening hard-liners within Iran’s security apparatus to intensify the crackdown.

Despite restrictions, protesters again flooded the streets in Tehran and Iran’s second-largest city on Sunday, according to activists and online footage.

US President Donald Trump voiced support for the demonstrators, writing on social media that “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!”

Two people familiar with internal White House discussions said Trump and his national security team have been weighing a range of responses against Iran, including cyberattacks and direct strikes by either the US or Israel. The White House has not indicated that any decisions have been taken.

Parliament issues stark warning

Iran’s warning to the US and Israel came during a parliamentary speech by hard-line speaker Mohammad Baagher Qalibaf.

“In the event of an attack on Iran, both the occupied territory and all American military centers, bases and ships in the region will be our legitimate targets,” Qalibaf said. “We do not consider ourselves limited to reacting after the action and will act based on any objective signs of a threat.”

Lawmakers rushed the dais following the speech, chanting: “Death to America!”

It remains unclear how seriously Iran is considering military action, particularly after its air defenses were badly damaged during the 12-day war with Israel in June. Any decision to go to war would rest with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is 86.

The US military said it is “postured with forces that span the full range of combat capability to defend our forces, our partners and allies and US interests” in the Middle East. Iran previously targeted US forces at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, while the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet is based in Bahrain.

Israel said it was “watching closely” the situation, according to an Israeli official speaking on condition of anonymity. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also discussed Iran with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

“The people of Israel, the entire world, are in awe of the tremendous heroism of the citizens of Iran,” Netanyahu said.

At the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV referred to Iran as a place “where ongoing tensions continue to claim many lives.”

“I hope and pray that dialogue and peace may be patiently nurtured in pursuit of the common good of the whole of society,” he said.

Protests across major cities

Videos circulating online, some believed to have been transmitted via Starlink satellite systems, appeared to show demonstrators gathering in northern Tehran’s Punak neighbourhood. Protesters waved lit mobile phones, banged metal objects and set off fireworks, while security forces blocked streets.

“The pattern of protests in the capital has largely taken the form of scattered, short-lived, and fluid gatherings, an approach shaped in response to the heavy presence of security forces and increased field pressure,” the Human Rights Activists News Agency said. “Reports were received of surveillance drones flying overhead and movements by security forces around protest locations, indicating ongoing monitoring and security control.”

In Mashhad, footage showed protesters confronting security forces, while demonstrations were also reported in Kerman.

Iranian state television sought to counter protest narratives by airing footage of calm streets in several cities, though Tehran and Mashhad were not included.

Government rhetoric hardens

Senior officials continued to use strong language against protesters. Ali Larijani, a top security official, accused some demonstrators of “killing people or burning some people, which is very similar to what ISIS does.”

State TV aired funerals of slain security force members and reported additional deaths, including six security personnel in Kermanshah, 13 people in Fars province and seven security forces in North Khorasan. Footage also showed a pickup truck carrying bodies in body bags and scenes inside a morgue.

President Masoud Pezeshkian, a reformist who initially sought to calm tensions, also adopted a firmer tone in an interview broadcast Sunday.

“People have concerns, we should sit with them and if it is our duty, we should resolve their concerns,” Pezeshkian said. “But the higher duty is not to allow a group of rioters to come and destroy the entire society.”

Unrest rooted in economic collapse

The protests began on December 28 following the collapse of Iran’s currency, with the rial trading at over 1.4 million to the US dollar amid sanctions linked in part to Iran’s nuclear programme. What started as demonstrations over the cost of living has since evolved into direct calls challenging Iran’s theocratic system.

Exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi has urged demonstrators to continue taking to the streets, though it remains unclear whether chants praising the former monarchy reflect support for him or broader frustration with the post-1979 political order.