Iran Vows Retaliation Against Potential Trump-Ordered Strikes Amid Escalating Protest Tensions

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Nationwide protests challenging Iran‘s theocracy saw protesters flood the streets in the country’s capital and its second-largest city into Sunday, crossing the two-week mark as violence surrounding the demonstrations has killed at least 116 people, activists said.

With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. But the death toll in the protests has grown, while 2600 others have been detained, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.

Meanwhile, Iran’s parliament speaker warned the US military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America strikes the Islamic Republic, as threatened by President Donald Trump. Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf made the threat as politicians rushed the dais in the Iranian parliament, shouting: “Death to America!”

In this frame from footage circulating on social media, protesters are seen dancing and cheering around a bonfire as they take to the streets despite an intensifying crackdown in Tehran, Iran on January 9.(AP)

More demonstrations planned Sunday

Iran’s former Crown Prince, Reza Pahlavi, who lives in exile, is once again rallying support for demonstrations against the current regime. In a recent message, he has urged Iranians to take to the streets on Sunday, following calls for protests on Thursday and Friday. Pahlavi has encouraged demonstrators to bring the lion-and-sun flag and other national emblems from the era of the shah, seeking to inspire a sense of reclaiming public spaces.

Pahlavi’s connections with Israel have previously sparked controversy, especially following the conflict that lasted 12 days. While some protestors have been heard chanting in favor of the former shah, it remains uncertain if this reflects support for Pahlavi himself or a nostalgia for Iran’s pre-1979 Islamic Revolution era.

The wave of demonstrations that began on December 28 was initially sparked by the sharp decline of the Iranian rial, which has plummeted in value to more than 1.4 million against the US dollar. This economic crisis is largely due to stringent international sanctions, partly imposed because of Iran’s nuclear activities. What started as economic discontent has now escalated into broader calls for challenging the governing theocracy in Iran.