Iran's government warned it would retaliate if attacked by the United States, after Washington threatened its leadership amid intense protests shaking the Islamic republic.

On Saturday night, protesters defied government repression.

Videos verified by the BBC and eyewitness accounts showed that security forces had intensified their response to the demonstrations.

Iran's attorney general declared that anyone protesting would be considered an “enemy of God,” a crime punishable by death.

US President Donald Trump threatened to severely punish Iran's leaders if they “start killing people.”

Meanwhile, the speaker of Iran's parliament warned the US that if Iran were attacked, Israel and all US military bases in the region would be legitimate targets.

The protests, triggered by runaway inflation, have spread to more than 100 cities and towns across all provinces of the country. Now, the protesters are demanding an end to the clerical regime of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Khamenei has dismissed the protesters as "a handful of vandals" seeking to "please" Trump. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian echoed these sentiments, blaming the US and Israel for the unrest. "They have trained certain people inside and outside the country, brought terrorists into the country, burned mosques, and attacked markets and guilds in Rasht, setting fire to the bazaar," he declared without providing evidence. Meanwhile, Trump stated on Saturday that his country "stands ready to help" as Iran "seeks freedom." As the protests intensify, the number of dead and wounded continues to rise, according to human rights organizations. human rights. Two of them have reported more than 100 deaths, including members of the security forces.

Staff at several hospitals told the BBC they are overwhelmed by the number of wounded and dead. The BBC Persian service verified 70 bodies taken to a hospital in the city of Rasht on Friday night, and a health professional reported the deaths of some 38 people at a hospital in Tehran.The Iranian police chief told state television that the level of clashes with protesters has escalated, with arrests on Saturday night of what he called “key figures.” The official blamed a “significant proportion of the deaths” on “trained and directed individuals,” rather than security forces, but did not give specifics. More than 2,500 people have been arrested since the protests began on December 28, according to a human rights group. The BBC and most international media outlets are banned from reporting from Iran, and the government has imposed an internet blackout since Thursday, making it difficult to obtain and verify information. Information.

However, some images have emerged and the BBC has spoken to people in the country.

Several recordings, confirmed as recent by BBC Verify, show clashes between protesters and security forces in Mashhad, Iran's second-largest city.

The videos show masked protesters taking cover behind dumpsters and bonfires, while a line of security forces can be seen in the distance. A vehicle that appears to be a bus is engulfed in flames. Multiple gunshots and what sound like pots and pans being banged can be heard in the recordings. A figure on a nearby pedestrian bridge appears to be firing multiple shots in various directions as a couple of people take cover behind a fence. In Tehran, verified video footage from Saturday night shows protesters taking to the streets of the Gisha district. Other verified footage from the capital shows a large group of protesters and the sound of pots and pans being banged in Punak Square, as well as a crowd marching down a street demanding an end to the clerical system in the Heravi district. Internet access in Iran is largely limited to a national intranet, with restricted connections to the outside world. However, during the current round of protests, authorities have severely restricted the national intranet for the first time. An expert told the BBC Persian service that the block is more severe than that seen during the 2022 demonstrations. Alireza Manafi, an internet researcher,He stated that the only likely way to connect to the outside world was via Starlink satellite internet, but warned users to be careful, as such connections could be tracked by the US government.

Preparing an attack?

On Saturday, Trump wrote on social media: “Iran is seeking freedom, perhaps like never before. The US stands ready to help!” briefed on options for military strikes in the country.

The New York Times and Wall Street Journal reported that briefings had taken place, with the WSJ describing them as “preliminary talks.” An anonymous official told the WSJ that there was no “imminent threat” to Iran. Last year, the US carried out airstrikes against Iranian nuclear facilities. On Sunday,Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last shah (king), who lives in the US and whose return protesters have been calling for, posted a video on He added, “I know I will soon be by your side.” Pahlavi claimed that the Islamic Republic was facing a “severe shortage of mercenaries” and that “many armed and security forces had deserted their posts or disobeyed orders to suppress the population.” The BBC was unable to verify these claims.

The Crown Prince encouraged people to continue protesting on Sunday night, but to remain in groups or with crowds as this no longer “endangers their lives.”

Alarming Reports

Amnesty International said it was reviewing “worrying reports that security forces have stepped up the illegal use of lethal force against protesters” since Thursday.

UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said those protesting against Khamenei's government should not face “the threat of violence or reprisals.”

At least 162 protesters and 41 security personnel have been killed in the past two weeks, according to the US-based organization Human Rights Activists in Iran.

The Norway-based organization Human Rights Iran reported at least 192 protesters killed.

“The killing of protesters in the last three days, particularly after the nationwide internet blackout, could be even more extensive than we imagine,” the group's director stated.Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam.

The BBC Persian service has confirmed the identities of 26 people killed, including six children.

The protests have been the most widespread since the 2022 demonstrations sparked by the death, while in police custody, of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman who was detained by the morality police for allegedly not wearing the hijab, or Islamic veil, correctly.

More than 550 people died and 20,000 were detained by security forces over several months, according to human rights organizations.