Washington: US President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Iran on Sunday, cautioning that the country would face significant repercussions if the ongoing protests result in further fatalities. "We're watching it very closely. If they start killing people like they have in the past, I think they're going to get hit very hard by the United States," Trump stated to reporters aboard Air Force One, though he abstained from detailing potential actions the US might undertake.
According to Ghana News Agency, the organization Iran Human Rights, based in Oslo, reported on Sunday that at least 19 protesters have lost their lives amidst the turmoil that has enveloped Iran over the past week. Additionally, hundreds more have reportedly been injured and detained. The Iranian government has remained silent on the specifics of the unrest and the casualties incurred, with current data primarily derived from social media and activists abroad, although these accounts lack independent verification.
The protests, initially sparked by discontent in Tehran regarding the government's economic policies, have swiftly escalated into widespread political unrest across the nation. Demonstrators are not only voicing criticism against the current leadership but are also calling for the reinstatement of the monarchy, which was dismantled during the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
In a post on Truth Social on Friday, Trump expressed solidarity with the protestors, stating, "If Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go." The tension between the US and Iran, historical adversaries since the Islamic Revolution, persists with no formal diplomatic relations in place. Earlier in June, the US military collaborated with Israel to target key nuclear facilities in Iran, accusing Tehran of pursuing nuclear weapons development-a claim that Iran has consistently refuted.