Iran protests spread; Tehran warns US of retaliation

Protesters again filled streets across Iran on Saturday night despite a deadly crackdown. Hospital staff told the BBC more than 100 bodies arrived over two days, while Iran’s leadership warned it would hit US and Israeli targets if Washington attacks over the unrest. BBC Verify confirmed videos from multiple cities showing live fire and fierce confrontations. (archive.vn)

This wave began on 28 December after soaring prices and a sliding currency. It has spread to more than 100 cities and towns across every province, with many chants now calling for an end to clerical rule under Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. (archive.vn)

Officials have hardened their language. The attorney general said demonstrators could be treated as “enemies of God” - a charge that carries the death penalty - while the Supreme Leader dismissed protesters as vandals. In the US, President Donald Trump said the country “stands ready to help”. Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that any US strike would make Israel and US bases “legitimate targets”. (archive.vn)

Counting casualties is hard under blackout conditions, but the signals are grim. BBC Persian verified 70 bodies taken to one hospital in Rasht on Friday night, and a health worker reported around 38 deaths at one Tehran hospital. Rights monitors cited by the BBC say the nationwide toll is already well into three figures. (archive.vn)

What we can verify from video matters. BBC Verify authenticated clips of security officers firing at gatherings in Tehran, Kermanshah and the southern Bushehr region. In the western city of Ilam, multiple verified videos filmed near Imam Khomeini Hospital show shots fired towards the medical compound where a rally had formed. Sources inside Iran say plain-clothes officers have targeted people who film alone. (archive.vn)

Police announced arrests of what they called “key figures” and said the confrontation level had been stepped up. They also claimed a significant share of fatalities came from “trained and directed individuals” rather than security forces, providing no specific evidence. More than 2,500 people have been arrested since 28 December, according to a human rights group cited by the BBC. (archive.vn)

Internet access is severely restricted. Iran’s domestic intranet - normally a limited fallback - has also been throttled, which makes it especially hard to send evidence out or check it. An internet researcher told BBC Persian that Starlink may be the only external route for now but warned such connections could be traceable by the state, so users should be cautious. The BBC and most international newsrooms cannot freely report on the ground. (archive.vn)

If you want to test a protest clip yourself, start with clues you can see or hear. Match shop signs and landmarks to satellite images, listen for local accents, and compare shadows with the claimed time. Check recent weather for that city and run a reverse image search to catch old footage. Always think safety: blur faces, strip metadata, and consider delaying uploads to protect people in the video.

What does “enemy of God” mean in daily life? In Iran’s penal code, that label can bring capital punishment, and rights groups say using it on state TV is meant to frighten the wider public into staying home. When you hear this phrase, read it as a warning that ordinary demonstrators could face the harshest penalties, not just organisers or those accused of violence. (archive.vn)

In Washington, US media reported the president had been briefed on possible responses; The Wall Street Journal described the talks as preliminary and said there was no imminent threat. Even the talk of options raises the temperature and narrows the margin for error around bases and shipping lanes. (archive.vn)

You’ll also hear voices from exile. Reza Pahlavi praised demonstrators and suggested parts of the security forces were refusing orders, but the BBC could not verify those claims. Treat high-heat statements like these as advocacy and cross-check with independent monitors before sharing. (archive.vn)

If you’re teaching this tomorrow, keep three anchors in view: protest is a civic act that governments label in different ways; verification is a learnable skill; and digital rights - access, privacy and safety - shape what the world can witness. We will keep naming sources, giving ranges and updating as new material is verified under the ongoing shutdown. (archive.vn)