US will take ‘very strong action’ if Iran hangs protesters: Trump’s warning to Tehran
US President Trump has threatened Iran that the US will take very strong action if Iranian authorities execute anti-government protesters.
Trump made the comments in an interview, saying he had not yet heard Iran was carrying out hangings, but added that such executions would cross a “red line”.
Arrested Iranian protester Erfan Soltani to face death penalty
According to Iran Human Rights, 26-year-old protester Erfan Soltani is set to be executed as early as Wednesday, making him possibly the first person to face the death penalty linked to the current wave of unrest and protests in Iran. Soltani was arrested in Fardis near Tehran, reportedly denied a lawyer and briefed family only minutes before his scheduled execution.
Trump says, ‘help is on its way’
Mr Trump also told Iranians that “help is on its way,” urging them to continue demonstrating against the regime. He said Washington had cancelled all meetings with Iranian officials until the violence against protesters stops.
Iranian official says more than 2,000 killed in protests
The protests, sparked in late December by worsening economic conditions, have spread nationwide and drawn thousands into the streets. Iranian security forces have responded with a harsh crackdown, with figures ranging from around 2,000 to possibly over 12,000, though the exact number of deaths is not known. An Iranian official also told that 2,000 people had been killed but that “terrorists” were to blame.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that it had so far confirmed the killing of 1,850 protesters, 135 people affiliated with the government and nine uninvolved civilians as well as nine children over the last 17 days despite an internet blackout.
The Iranian government, which had initially allowed the protests to happen, when it began on December 28 hardened its stand last week, with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei saying “rioters must be put in their place and Attorney General Mohammad Movahedi Azad warning that anyone participating in demonstrations will be considered an “enemy of God”.
