Iran is threatening its archenemy Israel and the USA with counterattacks in the event of a US attack in support of the nationwide protest movement against the authoritarian government.
Any attack by the US will lead to attacks on Israel and regional US military bases as “legitimate targets”, the Arabic broadcaster Alaraby on X quoted Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf as saying. Shortly before, US President Donald Trump had assured the participants of the ongoing mass protests against the government in Iran of support.
“Iran is seeking FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA is ready to help!!!,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. It is unclear what the help will look like. The New York Times reported, citing US officials, that Trump had been informed in recent days about new options for military strikes in Iran. He is seriously considering carrying out his threat to attack the country for suppressing the protests.
Trump warns Tehran
Trump had previously warned Tehran against killing demonstrators. “I told them that if they start killing people, which they tend to do during their riots, which are common, we will punish them severely,” he said in an episode of “The Hugh Hewitt Show” podcast released Thursday. According to the Wall Street Journal, US officials have held initial discussions about how to carry out an attack on Iran if necessary to carry out Trump’s threats.
Solidarity demos in Berlin and Frankfurt
In solidarity with the demonstrators in Iran, people also took to the streets in Berlin and Frankfurt am Main. Around 1,400 people took part in a demonstration in Berlin from Kurfürstendamm to Adenauerplatz, a police spokesman said. Around 300 people gathered at Wittenbergplatz. According to the police, around 1,800 people took to the streets at several events in Frankfurt.
Iran’s leadership downplayed the mass protests in the Islamic Republic on Saturday. There was calm in most cities, a spokesman said on state television, as translated from a video by the state broadcasting association news agency Iribnews.
“Your long nightmare will soon end”
Meanwhile, Trump shared a post from Republican US Senator Lindsey Graham on Platform X in which he warned the Iranian government that its brutality against the people would not go without consequences. Addressing Iran’s people, Graham wrote: “Your long nightmare is soon coming to an end.”
Reza Pahlavi, son of the Shah who was overthrown in 1979, thanked Graham for his post on X. “U.S. support for Iranians peacefully resisting oppression by the Islamic Republic reflects core American values,” Pahlavi wrote. “The Iranian people will remember their friends, and a free, democratic Iran will be a responsible partner for peace and global security.”
Shah’s son calls for new demonstrations in Iran
Pahlavi also shared on X a post from the US broadcaster Fox News with Trump’s recent words of support for the protesters on Truth Social. Pahlavi called for nationwide strikes in Iran on Saturday from his exile in the USA. He also called for further protests today at 6 p.m. (local time/3:30 p.m. CET). It’s not just about taking to the streets, but about occupying and holding central places in cities, they said.
From his exile, Pahlavi claims a leadership role in the opposition. In Iran itself, there has not been a political force for years that the demonstrators recognize as a credible opposition. Many people in the country are therefore placing their hopes on support from abroad. The current mass protests also featured the slogan “Long Live the King” – a direct reference to the exiled son of the former Shah.
The protests began at the end of December, triggered by a massive economic crisis and a sudden fall in the Iranian currency, the rial. In Tehran, angry traders initially took to the streets. The protests then spread across the country. However, the exact extent remains unclear due to the extensive internet closure. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei strongly condemned the protests. He spoke of “troublemakers” and people “harmful to the country” and signaled a tough course against the demonstrators.
Media: Trump is considering military strikes in Iran, but not only
According to US media reports, US President Donald Trump is considering possible military strikes in Iran, but also other options. The US broadcaster CNN reported, citing two US officials, that Trump had been informed in recent days about various options for intervention in view of the deaths in the mass protests in Iran. In addition to a number of possible military options, measures that do not involve direct military intervention were also discussed.
According to CNN, some of the approaches presented to Trump focused on targeting Tehran’s security forces, which would be used to suppress the protests. According to the broadcaster, there are also concerns within the Trump administration that military strikes could have a negative impact and undermine the protests. There is concern that military attacks could inadvertently lead to greater support among the Iranian people for the authoritarian government or to military retaliation by Iran.
The news portal Axios also reports, citing US officials, that Trump is considering various options – including military – to support the protests in Iran. However, most of the approaches presented to him do not currently involve military combat operations. Other options therefore focus on deterring the Iranian government, for example by announcing that an aircraft carrier strike group will be sent to the region. According to information from the news portal, cyber attacks are also being considered.
Just the day before, Trump had again promised his support to the demonstrators in Iran – without specifying what this might look like.
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TEHRAN/WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX)
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