Iran threatens Israel, US bases and shipping as Trump weighs military action

Dubai: Iran warned that any US military strike ordered by President Donald Trump would trigger retaliation against Israel and American forces across the Middle East, as Israel placed its military on high alert amid fears of a US intervention linked to Iran’s most serious anti-regime protests in years.

The warning came from Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who declared that Israel and US military installations and shipping in the region would be considered “legitimate targets” if Washington attacks the Islamic Republic. His remarks marked a sharp escalation as nationwide protests continue to challenge Iran’s ruling theocracy.

Speaking during a heated parliamentary session broadcast live on Iranian state television, Qalibaf said Tehran would not wait to retaliate after being struck, agency reports said. Lawmakers rushed the dais chanting “Death to America!” as he addressed parliament.

“In the event of an attack on Iran, both the occupied territory and all American military centers, bases and ships in the region will be our legitimate targets,” Qalibaf said, using Tehran’s term for Israel. “We do not consider ourselves limited to reacting after the action and will act based on any objective signs of a threat.”

Iranians took to the streets in new protests overnight despite an internet shutdown, as rights groups warned on Sunday that authorities were committing a “massacre” to quell the demonstrations.

The protests have now become a movement against the theocratic government that has ruled Iran since the 1979 revolution and have already lasted two weeks.

The US-based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) said it had received “eyewitness accounts and credible reports indicating that hundreds of protesters have been killed across Iran during the current internet shutdown”.

“A massacre is unfolding in Iran. The world must act now to prevent further loss of life,” it said.

It said hospitals were “overwhelmed”, blood supplies were running low and that many protesters had been shot in the eyes in a deliberate tactic.

Israeli authorities have placed their forces on high alert over the possibility of US military action in Iran, according to three Israeli sources familiar with the matter. The heightened readiness reflects concern that any American strike could rapidly escalate into a regional conflict involving Israel and U.S. forces stationed across the Middle East.

President Trump has repeatedly warned Iran’s leaders against using force to suppress demonstrators and has openly voiced support for the protest movement. On Saturday, Trump wrote on social media that “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!”

The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials, that Trump has been presented with military options for a potential strike on Iran, though no final decision has been taken. The US State Department issued a blunt warning, saying: “Do not play games with President Trump. When he says he’ll do something, he means it.”

Inside Iran, Qalibaf praised police and the Revolutionary Guard, including its volunteer Basij force, for “standing firm” against the unrest. He warned protesters that the state would respond with severe punishment.

“The people of Iran should know that we will deal with them in the most severe way and punish those who are arrested,” he said.

Iran’s leadership has signalled a sweeping crackdown. Attorney General Mohammad Movahedi Azad warned that anyone taking part in protests — or assisting demonstrators — would be treated as an “enemy of God,” a charge that carries the death penalty under Iranian law.

Despite a nationwide internet and communications blackout imposed on Thursday, videos circulating online — likely transmitted via satellite links — appeared to show protesters gathering in Tehran, Mashhad, Kerman and other cities. In Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city and home to the Imam Reza shrine, footage showed burning debris and blocked roads as demonstrators confronted security forces.

State television sought to counter the images by broadcasting scenes of calm streets and pro-government rallies in selected cities, though Tehran and Mashhad were notably absent from the coverage.

The protests erupted on Dec.ember 28 over the collapse of Iran’s currency, with the rial trading above 1.4 million to the dollar, and have since evolved into direct challenges to the country’s clerical leadership. Exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi has called on Iranians to reclaim public spaces and rally under national symbols predating the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Any decision to escalate militarily would ultimately rest with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, even as Tehran’s threats come months after its air defences were badly damaged during a 12-day war with Israel. The US military said its forces in the Middle East remain fully postured to defend American personnel, allies and interests.