‘Cut Off The Hand Of Aggressor’: Iran Threatens Deadly Crackdown As Protests Rage ‘Under US-Israel Pressure’ | World News

Teheran: Iran’s top leaders have warned protesters and foreign dissidents as protests spread across the country as the economic crisis worsens. Senior judicial and military officials said this week that the state was ready to take tough measures against both internal unrest and external pressures.

Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei warned those who took to the streets. “There will be no leniency for those who help the enemy against the Islamic Republic,” he said, according to Fars news agency, accusing the United States and Israel of stoking instability.

Referring to recent statements from abroad, he added, “Following announcements by Israel and the US president, there is no excuse for those coming to the streets for riots and unrest.”

The warning comes as Iran faces intense international scrutiny after US President Donald Trump declared last week that if Tehran “violently kills traditionally peaceful protesters, the United States will come to their rescue.”

He also said the United States was “locked in, primed, and ready to go.” His comment came seven months after a brief but devastating 12-day war. During this conflict, Israeli and US forces bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities.

The Israeli administration also spoke openly about the unrest. On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backed the protesters at a cabinet meeting, telling ministers: “We are at a moment when the Iranian people are taking their fate into their own hands.”

Immediately following Ejei’s remarks, Iran’s military leadership struck a similarly defiant tone. Speaking to students at a military academy, Major General Amir Hatami addressed what he called hostile “rhetoric” towards the country.

Hatami, who took on the position of commander-in-chief of the Iranian army after many senior commanders were killed in the last war with Israel, warned that Iran would react preemptively if necessary. He said the country would “cut off the hands of any aggressor.”

“I can safely say that the preparedness of the Iranian armed forces today is much greater than before the war. If the enemy makes a mistake, he will face a more decisive response,” he told the audience.

‘Long-standing anger’

Protests have swept Iran in recent weeks and have already turned deadly. The demonstrations broke out late last month as shopkeepers in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar closed their businesses, expressing anger over the collapse of the rial due to years of mismanagement and growing economic distress under heavy Western sanctions.

Iranian authorities have not announced the official death toll. HRANA, a network of human rights activists, reported that at least 36 people were killed and at least 2,076 people were arrested.

Following Trump’s comments, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei weighed in, promising that Iran “will not bow to the enemy.” His remarks attracted further attention following the weekend US military raid on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a close ally of Tehran.

In an attempt to calm public anger, the Iranian government announced on Wednesday that it would begin paying households the equivalent of $7 a month to offset rising prices of staples such as rice, meat and pasta. The move was seen as a limited response to the scale of the crisis facing ordinary Iranians.

Analysts say the demonstrations reflect anger that goes beyond the immediate economic shock. “More than a week of protests in Iran demonstrate not only deteriorating economic conditions but also long-standing anger at government crackdowns and regime policies that have led to Iran’s global isolation,” said the New York-based Soufan Center think tank.