Trump issues warning to Iran over possible execution of protesters
With protests roiling across Iran, fear has been subsumed into anger and disbelief. What started as protests over economic distress has become one of the bloodiest crackdowns in the country’s history for years.
US President Donald Trump has threatened that Washington will react “strongly” to any Iranian crackdown on demonstrators, as rights group say a soaring death toll is feared in the Islamic republic.
The warning came amid growing concern over the fate of young detainees, including 26-year-old Erfan Soltani, whose relatives say he is due to be executed after being sentenced in what they describe as a shockingly fast court process.
“They issued the death sentence in just two days,” a family member told BBC Persian. “We didn’t even have time to understand what was happening.”
Fear spreads as executions loom
Human rights organisations say they have rarely seen cases move at such speed. One representative from the Hengaw Organisation for Human Rights said the authorities were deliberately using fear as a weapon.
“This shows they are using every tactic they know to suppress people,” he said. “Executions are meant to silence the streets.”
Speaking to US media, Trump said:
“If they send them to the electric chair, you’re going to see some sights. We will take very strong action.”
He later said the White House was trying to obtain accurate figures on the number of people killed during the unrest, adding that the US would “act accordingly”.
Thousands killed, tens of thousands arrested
According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), at least 2,403 protesters have been killed so far, including 12 children. The group says more than 18,000 people have been arrested.
Iranian officials dispute the figures. One government source told Reuters that about 2,000 people had died, blaming “terrorists” for the violence.
But with foreign journalists unable to report freely and the internet largely shut down, the true scale of the bloodshed remains unclear.
Hospitals overwhelmed, families searching for bodies
Videos emerging despite the blackout show grieving families searching for missing relatives at Tehran’s Kahrizak Forensic Centre. In one clip, rows of shrouded bodies and body bags can be seen stacked side by side.
“My friend went there to look for his brother,” one activist told BBC Persian. “In that moment, his own loss disappeared as he took in what he saw.”
Doctors inside Iran describe hospitals as overwhelmed.
“In most hospitals, it’s like a war zone,” one physician said in a message shared with the BBC. “We are short of blood, short of supplies.”
Protests spread despite internet blackout
The protests, which have spread to 180 cities and towns, started as demonstrations against the collapse of the Iranian currency and skyrocketing living expenses. Those demands soon broadened into calls for political change.
Video verified by BBC Persian shows confrontations in cities including Arak, Tabriz Urmia and Khorramabad with the sound of gunfire heard as protesters hurl stones at security forces.
International pressure grows
The UN’s human rights chief has urged Iranian authorities to immediately halt violence against peaceful protesters and restore internet access. He warned that charging demonstrators with offences carrying the death penalty after expedited trials was “extremely worrying”.
Iran’s judiciary chief, however, has vowed harsh punishment, saying those involved would be dealt with “seriously and severely”.
For many Iranians, the message is clear — the state is prepared to go further.
A moment that could change Iran
People inside the country say the atmosphere feels different this time.
Grief has turned into fury. Fear into defiance.
“This goes beyond anger now,” a protester said. “People are holding their ground. Still, many are only speaking up today, and it leaves us wondering why it took this long.”
No one knows how this crisis will end. But for now, Iran stands at one of the most dangerous moments in its recent history — with lives hanging in the balance.
For More: Huge Anti-Government Protests Sweep Iran as Streets Fill With Anger
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FAQs
Q1. Why are protests happening in Iran?
They began over economic collapse and living costs, then grew into wider demands for political change.
Q2. Why is Trump warning Iran?
Trump warned Iran after reports that protesters could be executed following fast-tracked trials.
Q3. How many people have been killed?
Rights groups estimate more than 2,400 protesters have been killed, though numbers cannot be fully verified.
Q4. Is Iran executing protesters?
Iranian courts have issued death sentences, raising fears of imminent executions.
Q5. Why is information limited?
Iran has imposed a near-total internet blackout and restricts independent media reporting.
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