Iran Protests Claim Over 500 Lives; US Weighs Military Options

Protests sweeping across Iranover soaring inflation and the sharp fall of the rial have turned increasingly violent, with the death toll now crossing 500, according to rights groups monitoring the unrest.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRNA) said that at least 538 people have been killed in the past two weeks, including 490 protesters and 48 security personnel. The group also reported that more than 10,600 people have been arrested as authorities intensify their crackdown.

The protests erupted on December 28, triggered by rising prices, economic hardship and public anger over inflation. What began as demonstrations over living costs has since evolved into a wider challenge to Iran’s leadership, prompting a heavy-handed response from security forces.

Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on “foreign interference”, accusing the United States and Israel of instigating violence and destabilising the country. State media has described the protests as “terrorist actions, while the government has called for counter-rallies to oppose what it calls external influence.

As violence escalates inside Iran, tensions are also rising internationally. US President Donald Trump has said Washington is actively weighing its military options. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump claimed that “lines have been crossed” and warned that the United States is considering “very strong options”.

Trump also stated that Iranian leaders had reached out to Washington seeking negotiations, but cautioned that the US “may have to act before a meeting” takes place.

Meanwhile, the protests have sparked global demonstrations of solidarity, with rallies held in cities across Germany, the United States and other countries, condemning what protesters describe as mass killings and suppression of dissent in Iran.

In one incident in Los Angeles, a protest in support of the Iranian people was briefly disrupted when a truck attempted to drive through the crowd, triggering panic before police intervened.

Adding to the pressure on Tehran, Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last Shah, has urged members of the armed and security forces to side with the public. In a social media post, he called on state employees and security personnel to “stand with the people” rather than, in his words, become “complicit in the killing of civilians”.

Also Read: Mass Protests Rock Iran as Activists Term Uprising a ‘Revolution’; Regime Accuses US of Stoking Unrest