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Iran’s military has vowed to protect “strategic” infrastructure and called on citizens to thwart “enemy plots” after 48 hours of escalating protests and violent clashes.
The military issued the statement Saturday as the Islamic republic struggles to contain the most serious domestic threat to the regime in years.
Iranian state television reported that three police officers were killed in attacks on security forces in Shiraz and surrounding areas overnight, as protesters took to the streets to protest the government crackdown.
State media accused “armed groups” of “attacking public and private property in several provinces, causing widespread damage”, including mosques.
Videos posted on social media reportedly showed crowds in Tehran chanting anti-regime slogans throughout the night, despite warnings from authorities that no “legal leniency” would be given to protesters.
It was not possible to verify the video as an internet blackout has cut the republic off from the outside world for the third day.
In its statement, the army accused Israel and “hostile terrorist groups” of trying to “undermine the country’s public security.”
The protests, which began in late December, have escalated this week.
State TV said several security officers were killed in Tehran on Thursday and two police officers were killed in the religious city of Qom. Two other members of the security forces lost their lives in Shushtar city.
It said a local prosecutor and four members of the security forces were killed “during rioting” in the northeastern city of Esfarayen on Thursday. A Press TV report on Saturday said several members of the Basij, a volunteer force affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards, were also killed.
But it also quoted Iran’s national police spokesman as saying that “calm” had returned to the cities.
Press TV said that “following strong warnings from security officials, no gatherings or disturbances were observed in most provinces despite limited attempts by rioters to disrupt public order”.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said that by 3 January at least 28 protesters had been killed in the crackdown.
Foreign-based group Human Rights Activist News Agency said on Friday the death toll had reached 65, including 14 security forces. The rights group said a large number of people were injured and arrested.
In a speech on Thursday, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused protesters of acting on behalf of US President Donald Trump and vowed that his government would not back down.
The regime has accused foreign forces and “terrorists” of instigating the protests and has long feared that the US or Israel would try to take advantage of the domestic unrest.
Trump has threatened to come to the “defense” if the regime attacks protesters.
The US President warned the leaders of Iran that it would be better if you do not start firing because we will also start firing.
“Iran is in big trouble,” Trump said Friday. “I feel like people are taking over some cities that just a few weeks ago no one thought would really be possible.”
Economic grievances sparked 13-day protests in Tehran after shopkeepers closed their shops in protest against rising prices.
This escalated into nationwide anti-regime protests that have spread to smaller cities and towns in the provinces.
President Massoud Pezeshkian, who came to power 18 months ago vowing to reform the economy, initially tried to calm the protesters. He met with business leaders to discuss their concerns and appointed a new central bank governor to try to restore “economic stability.”
But as protests intensified, huge crowds gathered in the streets of Tehran and other cities at the start of the Iranian weekend on Thursday, nearly all lines of communication were cut and authorities stepped up warnings to protesters.
“This is uncharted territory for the Islamic Republic because there is organic, bottom-up pressure on them, sections of society that were historically the backbone of the republic, opposing it, which has now become very large,” said Ellie Geranmayeh at the European Council on Foreign Relations.
“There are no easy answers to this pressure, and on top of that you have top-to-bottom pressure from the United States and Israel.”
The protests represent the most serious domestic threat to the regime since 2022, when Mahsa Amini was arrested for allegedly improperly wearing a hijab and died in custody. According to Amnesty International, more than 300 people were killed in the reaction against those demonstrations.
But Iran remains in a weak position economically and militarily as a result of Israel’s devastating 12-day war against the Islamic Republic in June. During the conflict, Israeli forces assassinated Iran’s top military commanders and nuclear scientists, destroyed its air defenses and – along with the US – bombed its nuclear facilities.
The rial has lost more than 40 percent of its value since the war, leading to uncontrolled inflation.
