Iran warns of strikes on US military and shipping as protests intensify

Iran warns US amid protests

Iran has warned it would target US military bases and shipping if Washington launches an attack, as anti-government protests continue to grip the country, the parliament speaker said on Sunday.

“In the event of a military attack by the United States, both the occupied territory and centres of the US military and shipping will be our legitimate targets,” Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told parliament, according to comments broadcast on state television.

At the same time, the national police chief said security forces had carried out major arrests of key figures linked to the unrest on Saturday night. AFP quoted Ahmad-Reza Radan as saying: “Last night (Saturday evening), significant arrests were made of the main elements in the riots, who, God willing, will be punished after going through legal procedures.”

Fresh demonstrations broke out overnight against Iran’s clerical leadership, despite an ongoing nationwide internet shutdown.

AFP also cited internet monitoring group Netblocks, which said the blackout “is now past the 60 hour mark… The censorship measure presents a direct threat to the safety and wellbeing of Iranians at a key moment for the country’s future”.

According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, at least 116 people have been killed since the protests began, including 37 members of the security forces or other officials.

The US-based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) said it had received “eyewitness accounts and credible reports indicating that hundreds of protesters have been killed across Iran during the current internet shutdown”.

“A massacre is unfolding in Iran. The world must act now to prevent further loss of life,” the organisation said.

AFP further quoted CHRI as saying hospitals were “overwhelmed”, blood supplies were running low, and that many protesters had been shot in the eyes as part of what it described as a deliberate tactic.