Iran's Crackdown Escalates as Trump Issues War Warning to Regime.
The Iranian regime has responded with increasing violence to weeks of protests sparked by soaring inflation, a plummeting currency, and growing economic hardship. Despite threats from authorities and warnings from human rights groups about un documented killings, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in cities across Iran on Friday, chanting slogans against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The fresh wave of protests is part of one of the biggest challenges facing the Islamic Republic, which has been in power for 47 years. The demonstrations started almost two weeks ago and have now morphed into a broader movement demanding the ouster of the ruling clergy.
Khamenei drew a hard line on Friday, warning that the regime would not back down in the face of internal protests or external pressure. However, human rights groups say this stance will likely drive security forces to lash out even more violently against demonstrators.
At least 51 people have been killed across 11 provinces during the two weeks of protests, including eight children, according to a report by Iran Human Rights. Amnesty International also warned that Iranian authorities are deliberately blocking internet access inside Iran to hide the true extent of grave human rights violations and crimes under international law.
Videos posted on social media show huge crowds in cities such as Mashhad and Tehran chanting slogans against Khamenei. Security forces unleashed a fierce and bloody crackdown across the country, with some protesters attacking government buildings. Analysts say that this level of violence will only fuel further unrest and make it difficult for the regime to address underlying grievances.
US President Donald Trump warned Iran's leaders that if more protests are killed, the US would intervene, saying "we'll start shooting". The warning was made during a meeting with oil executives, who were also told that the US would hit the regime hard where it hurts. This is not the first time Trump has issued such warnings.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz issued a joint statement urging Iranian authorities to "exercise restraint" and condemning the killing of protesters. However, as the violence continues, it remains to be seen whether these calls for restraint will be enough to quell the unrest.
The Iranian regime has responded with increasing violence to weeks of protests sparked by soaring inflation, a plummeting currency, and growing economic hardship. Despite threats from authorities and warnings from human rights groups about un documented killings, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in cities across Iran on Friday, chanting slogans against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The fresh wave of protests is part of one of the biggest challenges facing the Islamic Republic, which has been in power for 47 years. The demonstrations started almost two weeks ago and have now morphed into a broader movement demanding the ouster of the ruling clergy.
Khamenei drew a hard line on Friday, warning that the regime would not back down in the face of internal protests or external pressure. However, human rights groups say this stance will likely drive security forces to lash out even more violently against demonstrators.
At least 51 people have been killed across 11 provinces during the two weeks of protests, including eight children, according to a report by Iran Human Rights. Amnesty International also warned that Iranian authorities are deliberately blocking internet access inside Iran to hide the true extent of grave human rights violations and crimes under international law.
Videos posted on social media show huge crowds in cities such as Mashhad and Tehran chanting slogans against Khamenei. Security forces unleashed a fierce and bloody crackdown across the country, with some protesters attacking government buildings. Analysts say that this level of violence will only fuel further unrest and make it difficult for the regime to address underlying grievances.
US President Donald Trump warned Iran's leaders that if more protests are killed, the US would intervene, saying "we'll start shooting". The warning was made during a meeting with oil executives, who were also told that the US would hit the regime hard where it hurts. This is not the first time Trump has issued such warnings.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz issued a joint statement urging Iranian authorities to "exercise restraint" and condemning the killing of protesters. However, as the violence continues, it remains to be seen whether these calls for restraint will be enough to quell the unrest.
51 people killed already?! 
and its not just innocent civilians, kids too 
. i'm literally shaking thinking about all those ppl being brutalized by their own government. security forces are supposed to protect us, not hurt us 
. US President Donald Trump's warning is kinda scary tho, but hopefully he's right and it makes the Iranian regime back down 
. we need to stand with human rights groups & world leaders who are speaking out against this brutality 
. can't let the voiceless be silenced 
.
. I mean, who needs a Supreme Leader when you've got thousands of angry people taking to the streets? It's not like Iran's been in power for 47 years or anything, so it's not like they should be surprised by this. The US is just adding fuel to the fire with their "we'll start shooting" nonsense 
. Like that's going to make a difference. These protests are just a symptom of a deeper problem - Iran's economy is in shambles and people are fed up with the lack of opportunities. But no, instead of listening to their concerns, they're getting a war warning from Trump? It's like he thinks the Iranian government doesn't already know how to deal with its own problems 
? I'm not holding my breath for any meaningful action here... 
... 51 people killed including kids? that's just devastating 
... trump's warning is super concerning, i mean what exactly is he going to do, start a war over twitter threats? 
... it's all so frustrating watching this play out on tv, feeling like we're stuck in some bad sci-fi movie where human rights are just an afterthought 
... can't people just talk to each other and find a peaceful solution? 
anyway imo the iranian regime needs to seriously step up their game cuz this violence is getting outta hand 
and btw how can they expect people to be all calm & respectful when they're being killed left & right? 
I'm so worried about the situation in Iran, it's like a never-ending nightmare for the ppl 
. It's like they're trying to control the narrative & silence the truth 
. I'm thinking of all those innocent ppl who've lost their lives, and it's just heartbreaking 
.
. We gotta stand together with the ppl of Iran & demand justice & human rights be respected 
.
And let's be real, who wants a revolution without some bloodshed? 
I'm not saying that violence is justified but sometimes it takes a lot of pain to get people's attention. The international community's warnings might fall on deaf ears for now, but if more lives are lost, there'll be a bigger outcry and maybe the regime will have to rethink their strategy 
. I mean, 51 people killed? That's just horrific 
.
. And what about all these analysts saying that this level of violence will fuel further unrest? Yeah, I'm totally with them on that one 
.
. But seriously, it would be good if the leaders of other countries could help calm things down and find a peaceful solution. We should all be hoping for that 
.
like thousands of ppl are protesting and risking their lives but nothing seems to be stopping them 
anyway so yeah i'm lowkey hyped protesters are standin up against khamenei and his crew 
gotta love it when people finally speak out against corruption and oppression 
. it's just gonna fuel more violence and make things worse. i mean, what's left for him to do now? not like anyone's listening anyway 
. britain, france, germany - they're all saying something, but is anyone actually doing anything about it? 
.
. i wish they'd take some real action instead of just talking about it 
. I think Trump's warning might actually do more harm than good, it's just going to make them more paranoid and repressive. We need to support the protesters, but also call out countries like the US that are fueling the conflict 
what's going on in Iran?! It's like they're playing with fire 
and freedom to protest. The visuals are insane 
huge crowds, chants, and security forces clashing – can't wait to see how this plays out 
. And honestly, I don't think it helps the situation. The more threats from the US, the more likely Iran is to get defensive and crack down even harder on protesters. It's all just so... messy