Army warning as Iran seeks to quell growing unrest
Iran’s military is vowing to protect strategic infrastructure and public property and urging Iranians to thwart “conspiracies of the enemy” as religious institutions step up efforts to suppress the country’s biggest protests in years.
The statement of the Iranian army came after US President Donald Trump issued a new warning to Iranian leaders and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “The United States supports the brave people of Iran.”
The unrest continued throughout the night. State media reported that a municipal building in Karaj, west of Tehran, was set on fire and blamed it on “rioters”.
State television broadcast footage of the funeral ceremonies of members of the security forces who it said were killed during protests in the cities of Shiraz, Qom and Hamedan.
Authorities continued to impose internet blackouts.
An eyewitness, reached by phone in western Iran, said that the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) were deployed and opened fire on the area where they were talking.
Iran’s military operates separately from the Revolutionary Guard, an elite force that authorities deployed to quell previous unrest.
Both forces are commanded by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
In a statement, the military accused Israel and “hostile terrorist groups” of trying to “undermine the country’s public security.”
The statement said, “The army, under the command of the Commander-in-Chief, together with other armed forces, will resolutely protect and protect national interests, the country’s strategic infrastructure and public property, in addition to monitoring enemy movements in the region.”
Protests have spread across Iran in the past two weeks, starting in response to rising inflation but quickly turning political as protesters called for religious rulers to resign.
Authorities accused the United States and Israel of inciting “riots.”
As of January 9, Iranian rights groups documented 65 deaths, including 50 protesters and 15 security personnel, and more than 2,500 arrests.
In a country where the opposition is fragmented, the son of Iran’s last shah, who was ousted in the 1979 Islamic revolution, has emerged as a key voice fueling protests abroad.
In his latest call on X, US-based Reza Pahlavi said: “Our goal is no longer just to take to the streets; our goal is to take over and prepare to hold the city centres.”
He also called on “workers and employees in key sectors of the economy, especially transportation, oil, gas and energy” to launch a nationwide strike.
Trump, who bombed Iran in June and warned Tehran last week that the United States might come to the aid of protesters, made another warning on Friday and said, “You better not shoot, because we will start shooting too.”
“I hope the protesters in Iran are safe because it’s a very dangerous place right now.”
Some protesters chanted slogans supporting Pahlavi, but most chants call for an end to clerical rule or demand action to fix an economy that has been hammered by years of U.S. and other international sanctions and a 12-day war in June when Israel and the United States launched airstrikes on Iran.
On Friday, Khamenei accused protesters of acting on Trump’s behalf and warned that Tehran would not tolerate “mercenaries for foreigners.”
Iran’s religious rulers appear more vulnerable than in past periods of unrest amid the difficult economic situation and the aftermath of war in 2025.
Iran’s religious establishment has weathered past periods of unrest, including student protests in 1999, over a disputed election in 2009, student protests against economic hardship in 2019, and the 2022 Women, Life, Freedom protests.
Australia, Canada and the European Union issued a statement condemning the killing of protesters and praising the courage of the Iranian people.
