The Islamic Republic vowed that protestors would be killed for “betraying” the regime.
Mohammad Movahedi Azad, Iran’s attorney general, warned in a state television statement Saturday that those taking part in the fiery Tehran demonstrations would be considered an “enemy of God” — a crime that carries the death penalty in the Islamic-led country.
Even those found to have “helped rioters” could face the charge and be put to death, he threatened.
“Prosecutors must carefully and without delay, by issuing indictments, prepare the grounds for the trial and decisive confrontation with those who, by betraying the nation and creating insecurity, seek foreign domination over the country,” the statement read.
“Proceedings must be conducted without leniency, compassion or indulgence.”
The threat marks a severe escalation in the state’s response to the two-week-long protests, despite warnings from the US to spare the people of Iran.
It’s not clear how the US will respond, but President Trump warned Friday: “You better not start shooting because we’ll start shooting too.”
In a separate message Saturday, the State Department re-emphasized the warning: “Do not play games with President Trump. When he says he’ll do something, he means it.”
“The United States supports the brave people of Iran,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X.
However, any intervention by the US could also trigger an “apocalyptic” war, sources told The Telegraph.
The death toll across Iran has risen to at least 65, with 50 being protesters — though fears are growing that the true total is beyond 200.
Six security guards were killed and another 120 people were injured during protests in Fars overnight Friday, according to Tasmin News, a state-run media network.
The nation has been under a blackout since Tehran cut off internet access and international telephone communications Thursday.
At least 2,300 people have been arrested.
Iranian officials previously 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.
The massive protests, which sparked on Dec. 28, began over Iran’s ailing economy but have since morphed into nationwide calls for regime change — the most significant challenge to the government in years.
