The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, threatened that the Islamic Republic would launch attacks on Israel if the US intervenes militarily in the widespread protests against the Ayatollahs' regime.
"Any American attack on our territory will result in an attack on Israel and US bases in the region," Ghalibaf claimed.
Israel is on "high alert" over the possibility that the US could strike Iran, Reuters reported Sunday morning.
Informed sources told Iran International on Saturday night that Iranian security forces are using lethal force against protesters across the country, with early estimates pointing to mass casualties as a sweeping crackdown intensifies under a near-total internet shutdown.
Footage sent from Kahrizak, south of Tehran, shows several dead bodies in body bags. Eyewitnesses who provided the videos said dozens of bodies can be seen at the site, with additional bodies reportedly placed in another nearby industrial shed.
Earlier videos from Fardis, Karaj, and from Alghadir Hospital in eastern Tehran showed similar scenes of bodies on the ground, indicating what appears to be a mass killing unfolding in multiple locations, not limited to a few cities.
The internet blackout, which began on January 8, has made it nearly impossible to obtain a full picture of events. Still, the volume and consistency of reports reaching Iran International suggest that lethal force is being widely deployed to disperse protesters.
According to the news website, even the most conservative estimates indicate that at least 2,000 people have been killed in the past 48 hours.
Sources describe particularly intense violence in Fardis in Karaj and parts of Tehran, while stressing that similar reports are emerging from many other areas, including the western provinces of Ilam and Kermanshah.
Despite the near-total blackout, videos and messages continue to reach Iran International through limited channels, including Starlink users. These users are mostly in major cities and more affluent neighborhoods, leaving much of the country with little visibility. Even so, journalists say they are receiving credible indications that mass protests are continuing nationwide.
On Saturday, the New York Times reported that US President Donald Trump has in recent days been briefed on new military strike options against Iran, as he weighs whether to follow through on his threat to respond to the regime’s violent crackdown on protesters.
Officials said the President has not made a final decision but is seriously considering authorizing a strike in response to Iran’s suppression of demonstrations sparked by widespread economic grievances. He has been presented with a range of possibilities, including potential strikes on nonmilitary sites in Tehran, the officials told The Times, speaking on condition of anonymity.
When asked about preparations for possible strikes, the White House pointed to the President’s recent public statements.
Trump has repeatedly warned Iran’s leadership in recent days against shooting protesters.
On Thursday, in an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News, Trump said, “What they've done in the past, they've started shooting the hell out of people. And all of a sudden, people without any weapons whatsoever standing there and get machine guns, gunning them down, or they grab, take them to prisons and then hang them and kill them. So they played rough. And I said, if they do that, we're going to hit them very hard. We're going to hit them hard."
Trump added, “We're ready to do it. If they do that, we're going to hit them hard. And so far, for the most part, there's been some of it, but for the most part, they haven't. There have been people killed. Some of them, the crowds are so big that some of them have had, were stomped on. Literally. It was terrible."
“We'll see what happens. There's so many people protesting. Nobody's ever seen anything like what's happening right now. But I have put Iran on notice that if they start shooting at them..if they do anything bad to these people, we're going to hit them very hard."
A day later, Trump repeated his warnings, telling reporters in the White House, "Iran's in big trouble. It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago. We're watching the situation very carefully."
The President said he had delivered a strong message to Tehran, cautioning against a repeat of past crackdowns. "If they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved. We'll be hitting them very hard where it hurts," he stressed.
On Saturday, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!"