We’ll take very strong action, says Trump; death toll rises to 2,500
Dubai: The head of Iran’s judiciary signalled on Wednesday that there would be fast trials and executions ahead for those detained in nationwide protests despite a warning from US President Donald Trump.
The comments from Iran’s judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei come as activists had warned hangings of those detained could come soon.
Already, a bloody security force crackdown on the demonstrations has killed at least 2,571, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported.
That figure dwarfs the death toll from any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades and recalls the chaos surrounding the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Trump repeatedly has warned that the United States may take military action over the killing of peaceful protesters, just months after it bombed Iranian nuclear sites during a 12-day war launched by Israel against the Islamic Republic in June.
Trump warned Iran about executions an interview with CBS aired Tuesday.
“We will take very strong action,” Trump said. “If they do such a thing, we will take very strong action.”
Some personnel at a key US military base in Qatar have been advised to evacuate by Wednesday evening, a US official said. The decision came as a senior official in Iran brought up an earlier Iranian attack there.
The official, who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive plans, described the move at the base as a precautionary measure.
On Wednesday, Iran held a mass funeral of some 100 security force members killed in the demonstrations after authorities earlier said it would be 300.
Tens of thousands of mourners attended, holding Iranian flags and photos of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The caskets, covered in Iranian flags, stood stacked at least three high. Red and white roses and framed photographs of people who were killed covered them.
People elsewhere remained fearful in the streets. Plainclothes security forces still milled around some neighbourhoods, though anti-riot police and members of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard’s all-volunteer Basij force appeared to have been sent back to their barracks.
“We are very frightened because of these sounds (of gunfire) and protests,” said one mother of two children shopping for fruits and vegetables on Wednesday, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
“We have heard many are killed and many are injured. Now peace has been restored but schools are closed and I’m scared to send my children to school again.”
Ahmadreza Tavakoli (36) told The Associated Press he witnessed one demonstration in Tehran and was shocked by the use of firearms by authorities.
Mohseni-Ejei made the comment in a video shared by Iranian state television online.
“If we want to do a job, we should do it now. If we want to do something, we have to do it quickly,” he said. “If it becomes late, two months, three months later, it doesn’t have the same effect. If we want to do something, we have to do that fast.”
His comments stand as a direct challenge to Trump.
The US President said, “We don’t want to see what’s happening in Iran happen. And you know, if they want to have protests, that’s one thing, when they start killing thousands of people, and now you’re telling me about hanging — we’ll see how that works out for them. It’s not going to work out good.”
One Arab Gulf diplomat told the AP that major Mideast governments had been discouraging the Trump administration from launching a war now with Iran, fearing “unprecedented consequences” for the region that could explode into a “full-blown war.”
Activists said Wednesday that Starlink was offering free service in Iran. The satellite internet service has been key in getting around an internet shutdown launched by the theocracy on January 8. Iran began allowing people to call out internationally on Tuesday via their mobile phones, but calls from people outside the country into Iran remain blocked.
India asks its nationals in Iran to leave
New Delhi: India on Wednesday asked all its nationals currently residing in Iran to leave by available means as the security situation in the country deteriorated further in view of massive anti-government protests and a crackdown on the demonstrators.
New Delhi has also strongly advised its nationals to avoid travelling to Iran. The protests began late last month in Tehran after the Iranian currency rial plunged to record lows.
The protests have since spread to all 31 provinces, evolving from an agitation against economic woes to a demand for political change.
“In view of the evolving situation in Iran, Indian nationals who are currently in Iran (students, pilgrims, business persons and tourists) are advised to leave Iran by available means of transport, including commercial flights,” the Indian embassy in Iran said in a fresh advisory.
“It is reiterated that all Indian citizens and PIOs (persons of Indian origin) should exercise due caution, avoid areas of protests or demonstrations, stay in contact with the Indian embassy in Iran and monitor local media for any developments,” it said.
Separately, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) advised Indians to avoid travelling to Iran.
