BLOODSHED IN IRAN: Police and Army Fire on People, Dozens Dead, No Space in Hospitals!

Iran’s Chief Public Prosecutor Mohammad Movahedi Azad said on Saturday that anyone who takes part in protests will be considered an “enemy of God,” which is a criminal offense punishable by death in Iran.

Despite this threat, protests continued in more than 100 cities and towns across all provinces of Iran. According to estimates, since the unrest began more than two weeks ago, hundreds of demonstrators have been arrested.

The protests were initially sparked by a sudden rise in inflation, but they quickly turned into an open political uprising with demands for the overthrow of the clerical regime and the departure of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Khamenei: “Vandals Who Serve America”

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed the demonstrators, calling them a “mob of vandals” who, he said, want to “please the American president.”

At the same time, the authorities imposed the strictest internet blackout in the country’s history in an attempt to prevent the spread of protests and information.

HAOS ŠIROM IRANA: Demonstranti zapalili zgradu gradske uprave, režim organizovao kontramitinge, Tramp zapretio slanjem vojske!

Without Internet Access

During the current protests, the Iranian government has completely shut down access to the global internet, while the domestic intranet has also been severely restricted. The data transmission infrastructure is under strict control of the state and security services.

Internet researcher Alireza Manafi told BBC Persian that internet access in Iran is now “almost completely shut down,” assessing that this blackout is even harsher than the one during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” uprising three years ago.

He added that the only possible way to connect with the outside world is the Starlink system, but warned that authorities could potentially track and sanction such connections.

Gunfire, Barricades, and Burning Vehicles

Due to the total blackout and the ban on foreign media operations, the BBC and other international newsrooms are unable to report from Iran, but some footage has nevertheless emerged.

BBC Verify confirmed the authenticity of video footage from Saturday evening showing demonstrators in Tehran’s Gisha district, as well as clashes with security forces on Vakil Abad Boulevard in Mashhad, the country’s second-largest city.

The footage shows demonstrators taking cover behind burning barricades and containers, while bursts of gunfire can be heard in the background. A vehicle resembling a bus is engulfed in flames, and the scene is illuminated by green laser beams.

One video shows a figure on an overpass who appears to be firing multiple shots in different directions, while people take cover behind a fence next to the boulevard.

Tehran the Main Hotspot

BBC Verify also confirmed footage from Punak Square in western Tehran, which has become one of the main hotspots of the protests this week.

Another video, from the Heravi neighborhood in the northeast of the capital, shows a crowd of demonstrators marching down a street and chanting demands for an end to clerical rule.

Trump: “Iran Is Looking Toward Freedom”

U.S. President Donald Trump spoke out on Saturday with a message on social media:

“Iran is looking toward FREEDOM, maybe like never before. The U.S. is ready to help!!!” the American president wrote.

U.S. media reported that Trump had been briefed on options for possible military strikes, but according to unnamed officials, there is no talk of an imminent threat.

Hospitals Overcrowded, Dozens Dead in One Night

Amnesty International said it is analyzing “disturbing reports of intensified and unlawful use of lethal force” by Iranian security forces.

Staff at three hospitals told the BBC that they are overwhelmed with the injured, while BBC Persian confirmed that in just one hospital in the city of Rasht, 70 bodies were brought in on Friday evening alone.

So far, the identities of 26 people killed have been confirmed, including six children. According to human rights organizations, 14 members of the security forces have also been killed.

One hospital worker in Tehran described the scenes as “horrific,” stating that many young people died from direct gunshot wounds to the head and chest before medical help could be provided.