Iran escalates threat against protesters

Iran has escalated its threats against anti-government demonstrators, with the country’s attorney general warning that anyone taking part in protests will be considered an “enemy of God” – a death penalty charge.

The comments by Mohammad Movahedi Azad were reported by Iranian state television as protests sweeping across the country approach the two-week mark.

The Iranian government has acknowledged the demonstrations as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world.

With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations against the Iranian government from abroad has grown more difficult.

The death toll in the protests has grown to at least 65 people killed and more than 2,300 others detained, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.

Iranian state TV is reporting on security force casualties while portraying control over the nation.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has signalled a coming clampdown, despite US warnings.

US President Donald Trump offered support for the protesters, saying on social media that “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!”.

Meanwhile, US secretary of state Marco Rubio wrote on the social platform X: “The United States supports the brave people of Iran.”

The US state department separately warned: “Do not play games with President Trump. When he says he’ll do something, he means it.”

Saturday marks the start of the work week in Iran, but many schools and universities reportedly held online classes, Iranian state TV reported.

State TV repeatedly plays a driving, martial orchestral arrangement from the Epic of Khorramshahr by Iranian composer Majid Entezami, while showing pro-government demonstrations.

The song, aired repeatedly during the 12-day war launched by Israel, honours Iran’s 1982 liberation of the city of Khorramshahr during the Iran-Iraq war.

It has been used in videos of protesting women cutting away their hair in protest over the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini as well.

“Field reports indicate that peace prevailed in most cities of the country at night,” a state TV anchor reported.

“After a number of armed terrorists attacked public places and set fire to people’s private property last night, there was no news of any gathering or chaos in Tehran and most provinces last night.”

That was directly contradicted by an online video verified by the Associated Press that showed demonstrations in northern Tehran’s Saadat Abad area, with what appeared to be thousands of people on the street.

The semi-official Fars news agency, believed to be close to Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and one of the few media outlets able to publish to the outside world, released surveillance camera footage of what it said came from demonstrations in Isfahan.

In it, a protester appears to fire a long gun, while others set fires and threw petrol bombs at what appeared to be a government compound.

The Young Journalists’ Club, associated with state TV, reported that protesters killed three members of the Guard’s all-volunteer Basij force in the city of Gachsaran.

It also reported a security official was stabbed to death in Hamadan province, a police officer killed in the port city of Bandar Abbas and another in Gilan, as well as one person slain in Mashhad.

State television also aired footage of a funeral service attended by hundreds in Qom, a Shia seminary city just south of Tehran.