Iran’s security crackdown on nationwide anti-government protests is being described as the most violent in the country’s contemporary history, with human rights groups reporting that the death toll has crossed 2 thousand 500 and international pressure mounting over the prospect of imminent executions.
Rights groups said Iran is poised to carry out an execution on Wednesday of a man accused of involvement in the protests that have swept the country over economic hardship and opposition to the Islamic Republic’s 47-year clerical rule. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the repression unfolding across Iran appeared unprecedented in recent decades. “What we suspect is that this is the most violent repression in Iran’s contemporary history and that it must absolutely stop,” he said.
The warning came as U.S. President Donald Trump publicly backed Iranian protesters, urging them to continue demonstrations and cautioning Tehran against carrying out executions linked to the unrest. Trump said, “help is on its way,” and told Iran’s leaders to “show humanity”, adding that the United States would take “very strong action” if protesters were put to death.
Rights groups and activists say mass arrests, internet blackouts and lethal force have been used to suppress demonstrations that have spread across the country. They have also raised an alarm over what could be the first protest-related execution, that of Erfan Soltani. Trump has suggested that recent U.S. and Israeli air strikes have weakened Iran’s ability to retaliate against American interests in the region, though he acknowledged that air strikes alone might not be able to protect protesters. He has also announced a 25 per cent tariff on countries doing business with Iran, a measure that could affect more than 100 nations, though no formal order has yet been signed.
The unrest, driven by deepening economic and political grievances, has become one of the most serious challenges to Iran’s leadership in recent years, drawing growing international scrutiny over the scale of the crackdown and the treatment of detainees.
