Iran Threatens Mass Executions Amid Protest Crackdown
Iran has issued stern warnings regarding the continuation of mass executions for protesters detained during a harsh government crackdown against widespread dissent, stating that U.S. military intervention would trigger “all-out war.”
Officials claim that over 5,000 people who protested the regime, which has maintained power for nearly 50 years, were killed in violent confrontations.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has attributed these fatalities to “terrorists and insurgents” linked to the U.S. and Israel. Recently, Iran’s judiciary declared that the actions of these protesters could be categorized under “mohareb,” a term meaning war against God, which is punishable by death.
Judiciary spokesperson Asghar Jahangir noted in a press conference, “These acts have been classified as mohareb acts, attracting the most severe punishments in Islam.”
This tough rhetoric follows President Trump’s remarks on social media, where he expressed gratitude to Iran’s leaders for halting the executions of over 800 individuals. Among those was 26-year-old Erfan Soltani, arrested on January 8, who was given just ten minutes to say goodbye before his anticipated execution. Fortunately, his family and human rights organizations later confirmed he was alive and in good health.
Trump has pledged to take military action if protesters are executed and has deployed U.S. military resources, including an aircraft carrier, to the region, although further plans haven’t yet been clarified.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned via social media that any unjust aggression would be met with a strong, regretful response, stating that an attack on Khamenei would escalate to “an all-out war against the state.”
Trump mentioned that Iran’s decision to suspend executions influenced his approach toward military involvement.
The unrest began on December 28, triggered by a rally in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, where shopkeepers protested economic difficulties stemming from the devaluation of the rial, as reported by Iranian Human Rights Defenders.
The protests quickly expanded across all 31 states, leading to brutal crackdowns by the government, marking the largest civil unrest since 2022, when protests erupted following the death of Mahsa Amini, who passed while in police custody under dubious circumstances related to hijab compliance.
A report by the Sunday Times indicates that the actual death toll is likely much higher than previously estimated, nearing 16,500, alongside an alarming number of injuries between 330,000 and 360,000.
Data from various hospitals revealed that between 16,500 and 18,000 people were killed, predominantly individuals under 30.
Professor Amir Parasta, an Iranian-German expert in eye surgery, remarked that this level of violence marked a “whole new level of brutality” from the regime, noting a transition from rubber bullets to military-grade weaponry, resulting in severe injuries including shrapnel wounds.
At least 1,000 individuals are said to have lost an eye, with Tehran hospitals reporting around 7,000 eye injuries.
On January 8, the authorities enforced a near-total internet blackout, a move seen as an effort to suppress reports of the violence and conceal graphic images from reaching the outside world.
Despite these efforts, disturbing videos have emerged, depicting bodies piled near morgues as families desperately seek missing loved ones, all while facing threats from state security forces.
The government appears intent on consolidating information control, promoting state-run systems, and further isolating citizens from global internet access.
