By Gao Yun
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday, Jan. 9, that Iran, which is facing large-scale protests, is in “very big trouble” and again warned that he may order military strikes.
Trump said: “Iran is in big trouble right now. In my view, the people are taking over some cities, and just a few weeks ago no one thought this could really happen.”
When asked what message he wanted to send to Iran’s leaders, Trump said: “You had better not start shooting, because if you shoot, we will also shoot.”
Trump also said: “If they start killing people like they did in the past, we will intervene.”
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He added: “This does not mean ground troops moving in, but it does mean we will hit them very, very hard where it hurts the most.”
Khamenei takes hard line; Iran suspected of launching bloody crackdown
On Jan. 9, Iran’s supreme religious leader Ali Khamenei delivered his first public speech since the escalation of protests on state television. He labeled the Iranians who have taken to the streets against the regime as so-called “thugs” and “saboteurs,” and made clear that the regime would never back down.
In his speech, Khamenei also cursed that Trump’s power would be overthrown like the Iranian monarchy in 1979.
On Jan. 8, Iranian authorities had already taken extreme measures, cutting off electricity and internet nationwide. There is widespread suspicion that the authorities have begun a bloody clearing operation against protesters under the pretext of “suppressing riots.”
The internet blackout has severely blocked the outflow of information. Phone calls to Iran cannot get through. The Dubai airport website showed that at least 17 flights between Dubai and Iran were canceled.
Potential mass casualties
Scattered information leaking online indicates that casualties on the evening of Thursday, Jan. 8 alone may have already exceeded the total from the first 12 days since the protests began. But because the internet has been cut, it is almost impossible to independently verify the information.
In an interview late on Thursday, Trump said: “The enthusiasm to overthrow that regime is incredible.” He also warned that if Iranian authorities carry out a massacre of protesters, the United States would hit them very harshly, and is prepared to do so.
Before this, Trump had repeatedly stated that if the Iranian authorities again kill civilians as in the past, the United States would take “rescue action.”
Earlier reports from multiple sources indicated that U.S. military aircraft are being redeployed to Europe and the Middle East, and the United States and Israel are said to be planning related actions against Iran.
The Iranian human rights organization HRANA said on Friday that since the protests began on Dec. 28, at least 62 people have been confirmed dead, including 14 security personnel and 48 protesters.
