Iran warns US of attacks on bases if Trump acts amid protest casualties
TEHRAN, IRAN: Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf issued a warning to America on Sunday, January 11.
The broadcast that aired on the Iranian state television warned President Donald Trump that the US military base in the country could be considered a legitimate target as a response to Trump’s earlier warning.
Iran says it will not back down from reacting to an attack
During a broadcast featured on the Iranian state television, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf addressed Donald Trump’s previous warning to the country.
Responding to the same, the parliament speaker said that if America launched a military attack, both the occupied territory of Israel and the US military and maritime centers would be their “legitimate targets.”
“Within the framework of legitimate defense, we do not limit ourselves to reacting after an attack,” he added.
The President of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian, also addressed the nation the same day, vowing to address the country’s economic situation amidst ongoing protests. During the broadcast, he urged protesters not to merge with the rioters.
“If the people have concerns, it is our duty to resolve their concerns, but the higher duty is that we must not allow a group of rioters to come and disrupt the entire society,” Pezeshkian said.
During the message, he also confronted the role America and Israel were playing, claiming that the two countries were attempting to create a riot by telling people that they had their support.
He said that the same people who killed “children and infants” in Iran were telling rioters to “go and destroy and burn,” he added.
Death toll rises in Iran amidst protests
Although the Iranian government has yet to reveal how many lives have been lost so far during the anti-government protests, a Human Rights Activists News Agency reported that at least 2,638 people had been arrested, as per NBC News.
Meanwhile, the Iranian Human Rights group claimed that in the two weeks since the protests started, at least 192 people had been killed. However, due to the internet blackout, the exact number could not be confirmed.
Trump warns Iran of retaliation over protest crackdowns
On Friday, Donald Trump addressed the leaders of Iran, noting that if they had started shooting protestors, America would retaliate.
He doubled down on the threat the following day online in a Truth Social post where he stated that the US was ready to help in Iran’s fight for freedom.
The president had also issued a stern warning to the country on January 2. At the time, he had said that America was “locked and loaded” and ready to go if it needed to come to the protestors’ aid.
