Amid rising tensions with the United States, Iran warned that targeting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would trigger an all-out war. Iran's president
warned on Sunday that any US strike would trigger a "harsh response" from Tehran after an Iranian official in the region said at least 5,000 people — including about 500 security personnel — had been killed in nationwide protests. Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian on X warned that Tehran's response "to any unjust aggression will be harsh and regrettable", adding that any attack on the country's supreme leader is "tantamount to an all-out war against the nation". Earlier, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had branded US President Donald Trump a "criminal", acknowledging "several thousand deaths" that he blamed on "terrorists and rioters" linked to the US and Israel. Read More - Why Did Trump Shift From Threats To ‘Respect’ Toward Iran? US President Explains Strike Halt Decision
4000 Deaths Confirmed, 240000 Under Detention
A US-based activist agency said on Sunday it has verified at least 3,919 deaths during the recent protests. The Human Rights Activists News Agency posted the revised figure, up from the previous toll of 3,308. The death toll exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades, and recalls the chaos surrounding the 1979 revolution.
The agency has been accurate throughout the years of demonstrations in Iran, relying on a network of activists inside the country that confirms all reported fatalities, according to AP.
The HRANA said that more than 24,000 people have been arrested by the authorities.
The Iranian official told Reuters that the verified death toll was unlikely to "increase sharply", adding "Israel and armed groups abroad" had supported and equipped those taking to the streets.
Iran to Go Ahead With Executions
Iran's judiciary indicated that executions may go ahead, as reported by Reuters. A series of actions have been identified as Mohareb, which is among the most severe Islamic punishments," Iranian judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir told a press conference on Sunday. Mohareb, an Islamic legal term meaning to wage war against God, is punishable by death under Iranian law.
Notably, the US President has repeatedly threatened to intervene if protesters continued to be killed on the streets or were executed. He said in an interview with Politico on Saturday: "it's time to look for new leadership in Iran". Trump had indicated a delay in US intervention, saying that the Iranian officials had “cancelled the hanging of over 800 people” and that “I greatly respect the fact that they cancelled.”
(With inputs from agencies)
