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United States President Donald Trump says Iran is in “big trouble” again and has warned he could order military strikes as video showed anti-government protests raging across the country. At the same time, authorities have shut down the internet to contain growing unrest.
“Iran’s in big trouble. It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago,” Trump said on Friday.
Trump warned Tehran last week that the US could come to the protesters’ aid. He issued another warning saying, “You better not start shooting because we’ll start shooting too.”
Rights groups have documented dozens of deaths of protesters in nearly two weeks, and, with Iranian state TV showing clashes and fires, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that several police officers have been killed overnight.
In an address on state TV earlier on Friday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for “unity” in the face of “terrorist actions” as mass protests continue to rock the country.
Khameini warned against the protests, which the authorities have framed as a plot by foreign enemies, primarily the US, and reiterated a threat that authorities will crack down on the unrest.
Khameini accused the protesters of acting on behalf of President Trump, saying rioters were attacking public property and warning that \tehran would tolerate people acting as “mercenaries for foreigners.” He accused Trump of having hands “stained with the blood” of Iranians.
At least 62 people have been killed, including 14 security personnel and 48 protesters, since demonstrations began on December 28, according to Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), an overseas-based Iranian rights group.
Meanwhile, in Canada, Iranian-Canadians have a growing concern for their loved ones in Iran.
