Iran vows to resume executions, warns the US that deploying forces would unleash “all-out war”

Iran has threatened to continue mass executions of protesters and warned the U.S. that military intervention would trigger “all-out war,” despite President Trump’s recent success in halting over 800 scheduled executions, as new reports suggest the death toll from the nationwide uprising may exceed 16,500 with hundreds of thousands injured.

Iran is threatening to continue mass executions of protesters arrested during its brutal crackdown on a nationwide uprising and warned the United States that deploying military forces would unleash “all-out war,” as shocking new reports suggest the death toll may exceed 16,500 with hundreds of thousands injured.

Iranian officials say at least 5,000 demonstrators have been slaughtered in the streets for speaking out against the authoritarian rule that has gripped the country for nearly 50 years, though a disturbing Sunday Times report compiled from eight major hospitals revealed between 16,500 and 18,000 people have been killed, with most victims believed to be younger than 30 and another 330,000 to 360,000 injured.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has blamed the deaths on US- and Israel-linked “terrorists and rioters,” actions which Iran’s judiciary said constitute “Mohareb,” an Islamic term meaning to wage war on God which carries the death penalty. Spokesman Asghar Jahangir stated that “A series of actions have been identified as Mohareb, which is among the most severe Islamic punishments.”

The renewed threats come just days after President Trump thanked Iran’s leadership for canceling the executions of over 800 people, including protester Erfan Soltani, 26, who has since been confirmed alive. Trump vowed to intervene militarily if the regime killed demonstrators and has sent an aircraft carrier to the region, while Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that its response “to any unjust aggression will be harsh and regrettable,” adding that an attack on Khamenei would be “tantamount to an all-out war against the nation.”

Some 24,000 people have been arrested in demonstrations that began Dec. 28 over economic hardships before growing into widespread protests across all 31 provinces. Professor Amir Parasta described “a whole new level of brutality,” noting that “[In 2022] they were using rubber bullets and pellet guns taking out eyes. This time they are using military-grade weapons and what we are seeing are gunshot and shrapnel wounds in the head, neck and chest.”