Activists report dozens killed amid Iran protests after Trump warns of US intervention

At least 29 protesters have been killed as anti-government protests spread everywhere Iran day 10, the US-based rights group says. The Iranian government is trying to put an end to the chaos, and it reacted angrily to President Trump’s cover-up. the threat of US armed intervention.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency, which provided the death toll based on its country’s public relations program, said in its daily report on Monday that more than 1,200 people have been arrested by Iran’s security forces since protests began more than a week ago. HRANA shared a video on Tuesday that it said showed clashes between protesters and security forces in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar – the capital’s commercial center where shopkeepers have long supported the regime.

The protests began more than a week ago in Tehran as business owners took to the streets to express their frustration over rising inflation in the nation, whose economy has been crippled by US and international sanctions for years. But anger quickly spread to more than 250 locations in at least 27 of Iran’s 31 provinces, according to Washington-based HRANA, with videos on social media showing violent clashes between protesters chanting anti-government slogans and anti-security forces every night since.

Insiders who spoke to CBS News on Tuesday said recent protests in the capital have been small, confirming other reports that efforts by Iranian authorities to contain protesters may have had some effect on reducing prices in recent days.

President Trump said on Friday – the day before American troops invade Venezuela and captured the country’s longtime leader Nicolas Maduro — that the US is “locked and loaded and ready,” warning that if Iran “brutally kills protesters, which is their tradition, the United States of America will save them.”

Mr. Trump has been tight-lipped about his threat, but has been ratcheting up pressure on Tehran since taking office, including unprecedented US strikes on the country’s nuclear facilities in June as Israel and Iran fought a 12-day war.

“I think a lot of Iranians will be inspired by that,” Maziar Bahari, editor of the independent Iranian news website IranWire, told CBS News on Saturday, referring to Mr. “The message made the Iranian regime more aware of its actions and use of violence against people.”

Iranian officials have not confirmed the deaths of any protesters, and while they acknowledge the protests and the economic pain the country is feeling, they are tight-lipped about the violence seen in the streets and blame the US and Israel for fomenting the unrest. The Islamic Republic’s Fars news agency said on Monday that around 250 police officers and 45 members of the dreaded Basij security force were injured during the clashes.

The US State Department has issued statements condemning certain incidents in Iran since Mr.

As has long been the case with Iran, uncertainty has left room for rumors to abound. There were unconfirmed reports that the country’s 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was considering fleeing into exile in Russia if the protests got out of control.

Some reports suggest that the government may even launch a new attack on Israel – which the regime has said it has been preparing for since the 12-day war in June – with the aim of diverting attention from domestic problems and refocusing public anger on Iran’s arch-enemy, which is likely to respond quickly and harshly.

But Iran’s intelligence services have a history of leaking false information to the media, especially foreign outlets, to create an exaggerated story that the country’s leaders can deny and portray as deliberately disrespectful of the West.

Meanwhile, the government has tried to put an end to the unrest in the streets not only with security measures, but with a series of measures aimed at showing sympathy to the protesters, including suspending some goods and taxes on businesses, and even a surprise move on Monday to announce financial subsidies for essential goods for all households.

The government appears to have been bracing for chaos after the summer’s war with Israel, which saw its budget slashed by severe sanctions and forced cuts to subsidies and social services.

However, so far, even if the protests do not continue to escalate – which is difficult to measure since the Iranian government tightly controls the flow of information in the country – efforts to end the unrest have not been fully successful.

Meanwhile, the protests continue, as people await further signs from Mr.