Dubai: The death toll from nationwide protests in Iran has risen to at least 116 as the unrest enters its second week, activists reported on Sunday. The escalating violence comes amidst signals from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of an imminent security clampdown, defying warnings from the United States.
According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), which has a history of accurately monitoring unrest in the region, at least 116 people have been killed in the violence surrounding the demonstrations. The agency also reported that the number of arrests has surged past 2,600.
Tehran significantly hardened its stance on Saturday. Iran’s Attorney General, Mohammad Movahedi Azad, issued a severe warning to demonstrators, stating that anyone participating in the protests will be considered an "enemy of God" (moharebeh). Under Iran's Islamic penal code, this charge can carry the death penalty.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has also indicated that a tougher response is approaching to quell the demonstrations, which are posing a direct challenge to the nation's theocracy.
The regime's move toward a harsher crackdown appears to disregard explicit warnings from Washington. US President Donald Trump has previously stated that the United States is prepared to intervene to protect peaceful protesters, a stance Tehran has dismissed as foreign interference.
Sunday, January 11, marked the two-week point of the protests, which have spread across the country despite the mounting casualties and mass detentions.
(Inputs from PTI)