海角大神

Protests sweeping across Iran neared the two-week mark Saturday, with the country鈥檚 government acknowledging the ongoing demonstrations despite an intensifying crackdown and as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world.

With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. But the death toll in the protests has grown to at least 72 people killed and over 2,300 others detained, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. Iranian state TV is reporting on security force casualties while portraying control over the nation.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has signaled a coming clampdown, despite U.S. warnings. Tehran escalated its threats Saturday, with the Iran鈥檚 attorney general, Mohammad Movahedi Azad, warning that anyone taking part in protests will be considered an 鈥渆nemy of God,鈥� a death-penalty charge. The statement carried by Iranian state television said even those who 鈥渉elped rioters鈥� would face the charge.

鈥淧rosecutors must carefully and without delay, by issuing indictments, prepare the grounds for the trial and decisive confrontation with those who, by betraying the nation and creating insecurity, seek foreign domination over the country,鈥� the statement read. 鈥淧roceedings must be conducted without leniency, compassion or indulgence.鈥�

U.S. President Donald Trump offered support for the protesters, saying on social media that 鈥淚ran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!鈥�

The State Department separately warned: 鈥淒o not play games with President Trump. When he says he鈥檒l do something, he means it.鈥�

State TV split-screen highlights Iran鈥檚 challenge

Saturday marks the start of the work week in Iran, but many schools and universities reportedly held online classes, Iranian state TV reported. Internal Iranian government websites are believed to be functioning.

State TV repeatedly played a driving, martial orchestral arrangement from the 鈥淓pic of Khorramshahr鈥� by Iranian composer Majid Entezami, while showing pro-government demonstrations. The song, aired repeatedly during the 12-day war launched by Israel, honors Iran鈥檚 1982 liberation of the city of Khorramshahr during the Iran-Iraq war. It has been used in videos of protesting women cutting away their hair to protest the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini as well.

It also repeatedly aired video of purported protesters shooting at security forces with firearms.

鈥淔ield reports indicate that peace prevailed in most cities of the country at night,鈥� a state TV anchor reported Saturday morning. 鈥淎fter a number of armed terrorists attacked public places and set fire to people鈥檚 private property last night, there was no news of any gathering or chaos in Tehran and most provinces last night.鈥�

That was directly contradicted by an online video verified by The Associated Press that showed demonstrations in northern Tehran鈥檚 Saadat Abad area, with what appeared to be thousands on the street.

鈥淒eath to Khamenei!鈥� a man chanted.

The semiofficial Fars news agency, believed to be close to Iran鈥檚 paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and one of the few media outlets able to publish to the outside world, released surveillance camera footage of what it said came from demonstrations in Isfahan. In it, a protester appeared to fire a long gun, while others set fires and threw gasoline bombs at what appeared to be a government compound.

The Young Journalists鈥� Club, associated with state TV, reported that protesters killed three members of the Guard鈥檚 all-volunteer Basij force in the city of Gachsaran. It also reported a security official was stabbed to death in Hamadan province, a police officer killed in the port city of Bandar Abbas and another in Gilan, as well as one person slain in Mashhad.

The semiofficial Tasnim news agency, also close to the Guard, claimed authorities detained nearly 200 people belonging to what it described as 鈥渙perational terrorist teams.鈥� It alleged those arrested had weapons including firearms, grenades and gasoline bombs.

State television also aired footage of a funeral service attended by hundreds in Qom, a Shiite seminary city just south of Tehran.

More weekend demonstrations planned

Iran鈥檚 theocracy cut off the nation from the internet and international telephone calls on Thursday, though it allowed some state-owned and semiofficial media to publish. Qatar鈥檚 state-funded Al Jazeera news network reported live from Iran, but they appeared to be the only major foreign outlet able to work.

Iran鈥檚 exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, who called for protests Thursday and Friday, asked in his latest message for demonstrators to take to the streets Saturday and Sunday. He urged protesters to carry Iran鈥檚 old lion-and-sun flag and other national symbols used during the time of the shah to 鈥渃laim public spaces as your own.鈥�

Mr. Pahlavi鈥檚 support of and from Israel has drawn criticism in the past 鈥� particularly after the 12-day war. Demonstrators have shouted in support of the shah in some protests, but it isn鈥檛 clear whether that鈥檚 support for Pahlavi himself or a desire to return to a time before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Online video purported to show protests ongoing Saturday night as well.

The demonstrations began Dec. 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, which trades at over 1.4 million to $1, as the country鈥檚 economy is squeezed by international sanctions in part levied over its nuclear program. The protests intensified and grew into calls directly challenging Iran鈥檚 theocracy.

Airlines have canceled some flights into Iran over the demonstrations. Austrian Airlines said Saturday it had decided to suspend its flights to Iran 鈥渁s a precautionary measure鈥� through Monday. Turkish Airlines earlier announced the cancellation of 17 flights to three cities in Iran.

Meanwhile, concern is growing that the internet shutdown will allow Iran鈥檚 security forces to go on a bloody crackdown, as they have in other rounds of demonstrations. Ali Rahmani, the son of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi who is imprisoned in Iran, noted that security forces killed hundreds in a 2019 protest 鈥渟o we can only fear the worst.鈥�

鈥淭hey are fighting, and losing their lives, against a dictatorial regime,鈥� Ms. Rahmani said.

This story was reported by The Associated Press.聽