Trump assures Iran's opposition of help - Tehran threatens counterattack

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• Since the outbreak of renewed protests in Iran, 116 people have reportedly been killed and more than 2,600 detained.
• Donald Trump is once again threatening Tehran with an attack if the regime uses violence against protesters.
• Iran, for its part, is threatening counter-attacks on Israel and US facilities in the Middle East.
• Shah's son Reza Pahlavi calls for conflict and demonstrations from exile.

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Iran is threatening its arch-enemy Israel and the USA with counter-attacks in the event of a US attack in support of the nationwide protest movement against the authoritarian government.

Any attack by the US would lead to attacks on Israel and regional US military bases as "legitimate targets", the Arabic broadcaster Alaraby on X quoted Iran's parliamentary speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf as saying.

Shortly beforehand, US President Donald Trump had assured participants in the ongoing mass protests against the Iranian government of his support. "Iran is striving for FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA is ready to help!!!", Trump had written on his Truth Social platform.

It is unclear what form this help will take. The New York Times reported, citing US officials, that Trump had been informed in recent days about new options for military strikes in Iran. He is seriously considering carrying out his threat to attack the country for suppressing the protests.

Trump warns Tehran

Trump had previously warned Tehran against killing demonstrators. "I told them that if they start killing people, which they like to do during their riots, which are frequent, we will punish them severely," he said in an episode of "The Hugh Hewitt Show" podcast published on Thursday.

According to the Wall Street Journal, US officials held initial talks on how an attack on Iran could be carried out should this become necessary to carry out Trump's threats.

Options for possible targets were also discussed, such as a large-scale airstrike on several military facilities in Iran, the newspaper reported, citing US officials. However, there is still no consensus on how to proceed.

Reports: Initial talks about possible US attack

No military equipment or personnel have yet been moved in preparation for an attack. US officials have emphasized that these talks are part of normal planning. There are no signs of an imminent attack, they said. The New York Times also reported that Trump had not yet made a decision.

Meanwhile, the US-based human rights network HRANA reported that the number of people killed in the mass protests, which have been ongoing for almost two weeks, has risen to 116. More than 2,600 other people have been arrested. Despite an almost complete internet blackout, demonstrations have taken place in 185 cities across the country.

Iran's state leadership played down the mass protests in the Islamic Republic yesterday. Calm prevailed in most cities, said a spokesperson on state television, as was reported in a video by the news agency of the state broadcasting network Iribnews.

Meanwhile, Trump shared a post by Republican US Senator Lindsey Graham on Platform X, in which he warned the Iranian leadership that their brutality against the people would not be without consequences. Addressing Iran's people, Graham wrote: "Your long nightmare is about to end."

Shah's son calls for new demonstrations in Iran

Reza Pahlavi, son of the Shah who was overthrown in 1979, thanked Graham for his post on X. "US support for Iranians peacefully resisting oppression by the Islamic Republic reflects America's fundamental values," Pahlavi wrote.

And: "The Iranian people will remember their friends, and a free, democratic Iran will be a responsible partner for peace and global security."

Pahlavi also shared a post from US broadcaster Fox News on X with Trump's latest words of support for the protesters on Truth Social. Pahlavi had called for nationwide strikes in Iran yesterday from his exile in the USA.

He also called for further protests today at 15:30 CET. The aim is not just to take to the streets, but to occupy and hold central squares in cities, he said. From his exile, Pahlavi is claiming a leading role in the opposition. In Iran itself, there has been no political force recognized by the demonstrators as a credible opposition for years.

"Long live the king"

Many people in the country are therefore pinning their hopes on support from abroad. During the current mass protests, the slogan "Long live the king" was also heard - a direct reference to the exiled son of the former Shah.

The protests began at the end of December, triggered by a massive economic crisis and a sudden collapse of the Iranian currency, the rial. Angry traders initially took to the streets in Tehran. The protests then spread to the entire country.

However, the exact extent remains unclear due to the extensive internet ban. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei strongly condemned the protests. He spoke of "troublemakers" and people "harmful to the country" and signaled a tough stance against the demonstrators.