Iranian state TV broadcast the parliament session live. #Qalibaf, a hard-liner who has run for the presidency in the past, gave a speech applauding police & the #Iran paramilitary Revolutionary Guard [ #IRGC], particularly its all-volunteer #Basij, for having “stood firm” during the #protests.
He went on to directly threaten #Israel, “the occupied territory” as he referred to it, and the #US #military, possibly with a pre-emptive strike.
Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf made the threat after nationwide #protests challenging Iran’s #theocracy saw protesters flood the streets in the country’s capital & its 2nd-largest city into Sunday morning, crossing the 2-week mark. At least 203 people have died in #violence surrounding the #demonstrations, activists said, with fears the death toll is far higher.
With the #internet down in #Iran & #phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult.
Those abroad fear the #information #blackout is emboldening hard-liners within Iran’s security services to launch a bloody crackdown.
#Trump offered “support” for the #protesters, saying on social media that “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!” The NYT & WSJ, citing anon US ofcls, said Saturday night that Trump had been given #military options for a strike on #Iran, but hadn’t made a final decision.
Iranian state TV broadcast the parliament session live. #Qalibaf, a hard-liner who has run for the presidency in the past, gave a speech applauding police & the #Iran paramilitary Revolutionary Guard [ #IRGC], particularly its all-volunteer #Basij, for having “stood firm” during the #protests.
He went on to directly threaten #Israel, “the occupied territory” as he referred to it, and the #US #military, possibly with a pre-emptive strike.
“In the event of an attack on #Iran, both the occupied territory & all American military centers, bases & ships in the region will be our legitimate targets,” Qalibaf said. “We do not consider ourselves limited to reacting after the action & will act based on any objective signs of a threat.”
Lawmakers rushed the dais in the Iranian parliament, shouting: “Death to America!”
The #US based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which relies on activists in Iran cross-checking information, offered the new death toll of 203 on Sunday, a large jump. Of those killed, 162 are #protesters & 41 are members of the security forces, it said. The agency also acknowledged receiving claims of far more deaths that it was still assessing as >3,280 others have been arrested.
The group has offered accurate tolls in previous rounds of unrest in the Islamic Republic.
