Iranian security forces are using “lethal force” to suppress protesters across the country, the opposition channel Iran International reported. The London-based broadcaster said it was citing activists on the ground and “knowledgeable sources.”
According to the report, initial assessments point to a “mass killing” during the massive protests in Iran, with even the most conservative estimates claiming at least 2,000 people have been killed over the past 48 hours.
Since Thursday, after exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi called on Iranians to take to the streets at exactly 8 p.m., the ayatollahs’ regime has cut off internet access and telephone lines nationwide, a dramatic move that has made ongoing coverage of the protests difficult. Despite the government’s actions, large numbers of Iranians have reportedly gone out into the streets, and leading international media outlets have spoken with protesters in Tehran and other cities.
Protesters describe severe violence by the Islamic Republic’s security forces, but also express hope that the ayatollahs’ regime, which has ruled Iran since the 1979 revolution, is nearing its end.
The opposition channel also reported that images sent to it from the city of Kahrizak, south of Tehran, show dozens of dead bodies inside body bags. According to eyewitnesses, dozens of bodies can be seen in the area, and there are likely additional bodies in a nearby shack visible in the footage.
Earlier, videos were also sent from the city of Pardis in northern Iran, from Karaj west of Tehran and from a hospital in eastern Tehran, showing similar scenes of bodies falling to the ground. According to Iran International, this indicates mass killings that are not limited to a few isolated cities. Reports of intense violence were also received from the western Iranian cities of Ilam and Kermanshah.
Meanwhile, The New York Times reported that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the weekend. According to three people familiar with the conversation, the two discussed, among other issues, the protests in Iran. In addition, according to several U.S. officials cited by the newspaper who are familiar with the matter, President Donald Trump has been briefed in recent days on new options for military strikes in Iran, as he considers carrying out his threat to bomb the country over the suppression of protesters.
At this stage, the report said, Trump has not reached a final decision on striking Tehran, but according to the sources he is seriously considering ordering airstrikes in response to the ayatollahs’ regime’s effort to crush the protests, which erupted over economic conditions and poor living standards in Iran. The U.S. president was presented with a range of options, including strikes in Tehran against nonmilitary targets.
Senior U.S. officials added that at least some of the options presented to Trump regarding Iran are directly tied to the foundations of the country’s security services, which are using violence to curb the growing protests.
At the same time, officials in Washington have stressed that the United States must be cautious that military strikes do not backfire by rallying public support for the ayatollahs’ regime, or by triggering a series of retaliatory attacks by Tehran that could threaten U.S. troops and diplomats across the region.
According to a senior U.S. military official, American commanders would want additional time before any possible U.S. strike to “reinforce positions and prepare defenses” ahead of a potential Iranian response. Officials in Washington say any military action requires balancing Trump’s pledge to punish the government in Tehran for suppressing protesters with avoiding further escalation.
On Thursday, Trump warned that if Iran harms protesters, the United States would act against it. On Saturday night, in a post on his social media platform Truth Social, he wrote: “Iran is looking at freedom, perhaps like it has never before. The United States stands ready to help!!!”
Shortly before that, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump administration officials held preliminary discussions on how to carry out an attack on Iran if necessary, in order to follow through on the president’s threats. U.S. officials told the newspaper that the talks also addressed potential targets the United States could strike, but noted there are currently no signs of an imminent U.S. military attack.
Following Trump’s remarks, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham addressed Iranian protesters on Saturday night, saying: "To all who are sacrificing in Iran, God bless. Help is on the way.” In a post on X, Graham wrote: “To the Iranian people: Your long nightmare is soon coming to a close. Your bravery and determination to end your oppression has been noticed by the president of the United States and all who love freedom."