Secretary of State Marco Rubio backed the “brave people of Iran” on Saturday as the supreme leader placed the country’s security services on its highest alert as protesters continue to burn Tehran — while fears grow that the death toll has climbed to more than 200.
At least 65 people, including 50 protesters and 15 security personnel, have been killed as of Jan. 9, according to the Iranian rights group HRANA, but fears are growing that the true toll could be much higher.
A doctor told TIME that at least 217 protester deaths have been recorded across just six hospitals in Tehran — “most by live ammunition.”
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered the Revolutionary Guard Corp to activate “missile cities,” or giant underground caches of ballistic weapons, sources told The Telegraph.
“The IRGC’s underground missile cities – which were deliberately kept intact during the 12-day war – are all on high alert,” the insider said, adding that any intervention by the US could trigger an “apocalyptic” war.
The IRGC warned the public Saturday that safeguarding security was a “red line,” and the military vowed to protect public property.
Iranian officials described the rioters as “terrorists” who were targeting military and law enforcement bases over the past two nights, killing several citizens and security personnel and igniting personal property.
Overnight Friday, a municipal building in Karaj, west of Tehran, was torched.
Protests also continued in the cities of Shiraz, Qom and Hamedan.
The military’s warning comes after President Trump issued support for the people of Iran and a warning to Tehran Friday.
“You better not start shooting because we’ll start shooting too,” Trump said. “I just hope the protesters in Iran are going to be safe, because that’s a very dangerous place right now.”
Rubio took to Twitter early Saturday morning to show his support to the protestors.
“The United States supports the brave people of Iran, he posted to X.
The nation has been under a blackout since Iranian authorities cut off internet access and international telephone communications Thursday.
The leaders of France, Britain and Germany issued a joint statement on Friday that “strongly” condemned the killing of protesters.
“The Iranian authorities have the responsibility to protect their own population and must allow for the freedom of expression and peaceful assembly without fear of reprisal,” the trio wrote.
“We urge the Iranian authorities to exercise restraint, to refrain from violence, and to uphold the fundamental rights of Iran’s citizens.”
In his latest appeal on the X, Iranian opposition leader Reza Pahlavi said: “Our goal is no longer merely to come into the streets; the goal is to prepare to seize city centres and hold them.”
He also called on “workers and employees in key sectors of the economy, especially transportation, and oil, and gas and energy,” to begin a nationwide strike.
The protests, which broke out Dec. 28, began over Iran’s ailing economy but have since morphed into regime change, with the most significant challenge to the government in years.
More than 2,500 people had been arrested over the past two weeks.
