Tehran [Iran], January 11 : The Iranian army issued a warning that it will defend the country's "national interests" as anti-government protests escalated amid widespread arrests and an internet blackout, Al Jazeera reported.
In a statement carried by semi-official news sites on Saturday, the military alleged that Israel and "hostile terrorist groups" were trying to "undermine the country's public security".
"The Army, under the command of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, together with other armed forces, in addition to monitoring enemy movements in the region, will resolutely protect and safeguard national interests, the country's strategic infrastructure, and public property," it said.
According to Al Jazeera, the warning came as authorities intensified steps to curb what have been described as the largest protests in the country in years, as demonstrations erupted over the soaring cost of living and inflation.
Crowds again gathered on Saturday in northern Tehran, setting off fireworks and banging pots while chanting slogans in support of Iran's ousted monarchy. Other videos, which could not be independently verified, also suggested rallies in Rasht, Tabriz, Shiraz and Kerman.
Protests have spread across Iran since late December, with increasing calls for ending the clerical system in place since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
Human rights groups urged restraint amid reports of deaths and mass arrests, with Iran Human Rights stating that at least 51 protesters, including nine children, were killed by security forces and hundreds more were injured, Al Jazeera reported.
Iran's Tasnim news agency reported on Saturday that at least 200 "riot" leaders were arrested.
Amnesty International criticised a "blanket internet shutdown" imposed by Iranian authorities, saying it was aimed at "hide the true extent of the grave human rights violations and crimes under international law they are carrying out to crush" the protests.
On Saturday, Iran's attorney general Mohammad Movahedi Azad warned that anyone joining the protests would be considered an "enemy of God", a charge that carries the death penalty, state television reported.
Al Jazeera reported that Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also warned that safeguarding the 1979 revolution's achievements and the country's security was a "red line", according to state TV.
Meanwhile, United States President Donald Trump reiterated support for Iranian demonstrators, posting on social media that Washington "stands ready to help".
His post came a day after he warned Iranian authorities against cracking down on protesters, telling reporters that "if they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved".
"That doesn't mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very, very hard - where it hurts," Trump said.
Reza Pahlavi, the US-based son of Iran's deposed Shah, urged Iranians to organise more targeted protests aimed at taking and holding city centres. "Our goal is no longer just to take to the streets. The goal is to prepare to seize and hold city centres," he said in a video message on social media, calling for protests on Saturday and Sunday.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described demonstrators as "vandals".
In a speech broadcast on Press TV, Khamenei said Trump's hands "are stained with the blood of more than a thousand Iranians", in an apparent reference to Israel's attacks on Iran in June, which the US supported and joined with strikes of its own.
Khamenei predicted that the "arrogant" US leader would be "overthrown" like the imperial dynasty that ruled Iran up to the 1979 revolution.
"Everyone knows the Islamic Republic came to power with the blood of hundreds of thousands of honourable people; it will not back down in the face of saboteurs," he said.
Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi accused the US and Israel of "directly intervening" to try to "transform the peaceful protests into divisive and violent ones", claims a US Department of State spokesperson called "delusional".
Al Jazeera reported that the demonstrations are the largest in Iran since the 2022-2023 protest movement triggered by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for allegedly violating Iran's strict dress code for women.
Al Jazeera reported that while the demonstrations have been sporadic, they have expanded in recent days, particularly in Tehran.
"The state response started by recognising the right of people to peacefully protest, but as the situation started to escalate, the state has been trying to draw a line between protesters and what the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei called 'saboteurs' - against whom, he said, the Islamic Republic will not give in," it reported.
"Public dissatisfaction exists - whether or not people take to the streets. Many here are now watching to see how the government responds, not just to the protests, but to the economic hardships that they are facing in their daily lives," it added.
The government has sought to control the situation by tightening security measures and introducing a monthly subsidy of about USD 7 for low-income people struggling to cover daily essentials.
However, a Georgetown University Qatar professor said the subsidy would do little to ease anger over rising living costs. "The inflation rate is at 42 per cent, according to the government. Unofficially, it's closer to 60 per cent. So it doesn't seem as if this kind of measure is going to alleviate any sort of economic pressure on the population," the professor told Al Jazeera.
Ali Vaez, director of the Iran Project at the International Crisis Group, said even if Iranian authorities suppress the movement, they will not be able to "address the underlying causes" of the unrest.
"[They are] only buying time until the next round of confrontation between the state and the society," Vaez told Al Jazeera.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor