Amid a bloody crackdown on protests, a hard-line Iranian cleric demands the death penalty for demonstrators and issues a direct threat to President Trump, even as Trump signals a potential de-escalation after Iran reportedly halted hundreds of executions. Thousands are dead, and an internet blackout continues, while an exiled prince urges continued resistance.
Following a brutal crackdown on protests in Iran, a senior hard-line cleric has called for the death penalty for detained demonstrators and directly threatened U.S. President Donald Trump, signaling intense rage within the Islamic Republic's authorities. This comes despite Trump striking a conciliatory tone, thanking Iran for not executing hundreds of protesters, which he views as a red line for potential U.S. military action. The protests, which began on December 28 over economic grievances and escalated to challenge the country's theocracy, appear to have been suppressed by harsh repression, leaving an estimated 3,090 people dead according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. Tehran has returned to outward normality, though a week-long internet blackout persists. The hard-line cleric, Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, described protesters as 'butlers' of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 'Trump’s soldiers,' warning both to expect 'hard revenge.' His fiery sermon contrasts with efforts by Russia's President Vladimir Putin to defuse tensions by speaking with both Iranian and Israeli leaders. Meanwhile, Iran's exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi urged the U.S. to fulfill its pledge of assistance and called on protesters to continue their fight, vowing to return to Iran. Khatami also provided statistics on protest damage, including 350 mosques, 400 hospitals, and numerous vehicles. Outside Iran, thousands of exiled Iranians continue to protest in Europe, and some are crossing borders to access the internet. A Kurdish separatist group in Iraq, the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), claimed responsibility for recent attacks on Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in retaliation for the crackdown, signaling a potential spillover of the conflict.
