Iranian Speaker threatens to attack Israel if US strikes Iran

The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, threatened that the Islamic Republic would launch attacks on Israel if the US intervenes militarily in the widespread protests against the Ayatollahs' regime. "Any American attack on our territory will result in an attack on Israel and US bases in the region," Ghalibaf claimed. Israel is on "high alert" over the possibility that the US could strike Iran, Reuters reported Sunday morning. Informed sources told Iran International on Saturday night that Iranian security forces are using lethal force against protesters across the country, with early estimates pointing to mass casualties as a sweeping crackdown intensifies under a near-total internet shutdown.

Footage sent from Kahrizak, south of Tehran, shows several dead bodies in body bags. Eyewitnesses who provided the videos said dozens of bodies can be seen at the site, with additional bodies reportedly placed in another nearby industrial shed. Earlier videos from Fardis, Karaj, and from Alghadir Hospital in eastern Tehran showed similar scenes of bodies on the ground, indicating what appears to be a mass killing unfolding in multiple locations, not limited to a few cities.

The internet blackout, which began on January 8, has made it nearly impossible to obtain a full picture of events. Still, the volume and consistency of reports reaching Iran International suggest that lethal force is being widely deployed to disperse protesters. According to the news website, even the most conservative estimates indicate that at least 2,000 people have been killed in the past 48 hours. (Read More)