Trump threatens the regime

Shooting at protests in Iran: “More than 200 dead”

Mass demonstrations took place in Tehran and other cities on Friday.(Bild: AP/AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur)

On Friday evening, large numbers of people once again protested against the hated government in Iran, including in the metropolises of Mashhad and Tehran. According to one report, the regime opened fire on the crowd in the capital, killing more than 200 demonstrators. 

A doctor from Tehran told the US magazine "Time" that six hospitals in the Iranian capital had recorded a total of at least 217 deaths among demonstrators – most of whom had been killed "by live ammunition." The doctor said that most of the dead were young people. Some were shot when security forces fired machine guns into the crowd in front of a police station in northern Tehran.

More than 50 dead protesters confirmed
These figures cannot be independently verified. According to activists, 51 civilians have been killed in the nationwide protests so far, although figures from several major cities from Thursday and last night are still missing. Hundreds more people are reported to have been injured in clashes with security forces, according to the Oslo-based organization Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO).

Crowds in Tehran: Starting in the capital, the protests have spread to all provinces of the country.(Bild: AP/AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur)

Burning motorcycles during nighttime protests in the Iranian capital(Bild: AP/AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur)

Mass demonstrations took place in Tehran and other cities on Friday.(Bild: AP/AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur)

If there really have been hundreds of deaths in the protests, which have now been going on for two weeks, then what many feared has come to pass: a massacre that is to be kept secret from the outside world by a communications blackout. The regime has already imposed a nationwide internet blackout and had telephone connections cut off.

Mosque set on fire
As a result, few images are coming out of Iran and the exact extent of Friday's demonstrations remains unclear for now. However, the rare videos of crowds gathering in central squares in major cities are being widely shared on social media. The footage shows fires and chaotic scenes on the streets. "Death to the dictator," the crowd chants. In a video released by activists, crowds of people can be seen in the northwestern Tehran district of Saadat Abad in front of a burning mosque (see video below).

Trump: "We will intervene"
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump repeated his warning to the Iranian government that the US would intervene if people were killed as in the past: "We will intervene, we will hit them very hard where it hurts." However, this does not mean the deployment of US ground troops.

Germany, France, and the UK called on the Iranian leadership to refrain from violence. "We are deeply concerned about reports of violence by Iranian security forces and strongly condemn the killing of protesters," said a joint statement by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Iran: Concerns "hypocritical"
The Iranian authorities are responsible for protecting their own population and must allow freedom of expression and peaceful assembly without fear of reprisals. Iran responded by accusing the three countries of "hypocritical" concerns. "We condemn malicious interference in Iran's internal affairs aimed at provoking violence," it said.