Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said U.S. forces and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if the United States attacks Iran, as nationwide anti-government protests crossed into a third week and activists reported at least 116 deaths and about 2,600 detentions amid an internet and communications blackout.
Nationwide protests challenging Iran’s theocracy continued into a third week, with demonstrators appearing in Tehran, Mashhad and other cities despite intensified security pressure and severe limits on information leaving the country.
Activists with the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said at least 116 people had been killed and about 2,600 detained since the unrest began on December 28, 2025. Independent verification has been difficult because Iran has imposed a nationwide internet shutdown and cut international phone lines, according to reporting carried by NPR member stations.
In Tehran, videos circulated online—likely transmitted using Starlink satellite equipment—appeared to show nighttime gatherings in the Punak neighborhood, with people waving lit mobile phones, banging on metal and setting off fireworks. Other footage purported to show confrontations with security forces in Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city and home to the Imam Reza shrine, with burning debris and dumpsters used as street barricades. Similar scenes were reported in Kerman.
In parliament, Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf issued a direct warning to Washington and Israel during a session broadcast live on state television, as lawmakers chanted “Death to America.” Qalibaf said that if Iran were attacked, Israel—referred to by Iranian officials as “the occupied territory”—and “all American military centers, bases and ships in the region” would be considered “legitimate targets.” He also promised severe punishment for those arrested and praised Iran’s security forces, including the Basij paramilitary.
U.S. President Donald Trump voiced support for protesters on social media, writing: “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!” The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed U.S. officials, that Trump had been presented with military options but had not made a final decision. The U.S. State Department also issued a warning aimed at Iran, saying: “Do not play games with President Trump. When he says he’ll do something, he means it.”
Iran’s 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei holds ultimate authority over any decision to escalate militarily. Qalibaf’s threats came as officials in Tehran signaled a broader crackdown: Iran’s attorney general, Mohammad Movahedi Azad, warned that participants—or those who aided them—could be treated as “enemies of God,” a charge that can carry the death penalty.
Iranian state television aired scenes it said showed calm streets in some cities and also broadcast pro-government rallies, including in Qom and Qazvin. The U.S. military has said it remains postured in the Middle East with forces capable of defending U.S. personnel, partners and interests.
Separately, Reuters reported that Israel has gone on heightened alert over the possibility of U.S. intervention and that Israeli officials have held security consultations as the unrest in Iran continues.
