Waging war against God: Iran's Attorney General warns protesters of intensified crackdown by authorities

Tehran [Iran], January 10 : Iran's Attorney General Mohammad Movahedi Azad has issued a stark warning amid escalating nationwide protests, declaring that anyone participating in the demonstrations or aiding those involved would be treated as an "enemy of God", a charge that carries the death penalty under Iranian law, i24 news reported.

In a statement broadcast on Iranian state television, Movahedi Azad said individuals who have taken part in the protests, assisted rioters, or contributed to acts of vandalism and insecurity would face swift and uncompromising legal action. He instructed prosecutors to move quickly and decisively, stressing that there would be no leniency or compassion in dealing with those accused.

"Prosecutors 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," the statement read. "Proceedings must be conducted without leniency, compassion or indulgence."

According to Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency, the Attorney General reiterated that legal proceedings against protesters would be carried out "without leniency, mercy or appeasement," signalling an intensified crackdown by authorities as unrest continues to spread across the country.

"The charges against all rioters are the same," Movahedi Azad was quoted as saying by Tasnim. "Whether they are individuals who have helped rioters and terrorists in the destruction and damage of public security and property, or mercenaries who have taken up arms and caused fear and terror among citizens, " Times of Israel reported.

He further asserted that "all criminals are enemies in this matter," leaving little ambiguity about the government's position toward demonstrators and those accused of supporting them.

Tehran's prosecutor also said on Friday that acts of vandalism targeting public property would be classified as "moharebeh," a term translated as "waging war against God," under Iran's penal code. The charge of moharebeh (enemy of God) is among the most serious offences in Iran and can carry punishments including execution.

The protests, which began over rising living costs, have rapidly evolved into a broader anti-government movement calling for the end of the Islamic Republic, which has ruled Iran since the 1979 revolution. Demonstrations have now entered their thirteenth day and have spread to at least 100 cities across Iran's 31 provinces, according to CNN.

Authorities have responded with arrests and restrictions to curb the unrest. One hundred people were arrested in the Iranian county of Baharestan near the capital city of Tehran on charges of disrupting public order and leading "riots," Iranian media reported.

In an apparent move to prevent further mobilisation, officials also announced the closure of schools in several provinces. Schools across the central Iranian province of Isfahan will be closed on Sunday, with classes held remotely.

"Schools across the central Iranian province of Isfahan will be non-face-to-face tomorrow at all levels of education," the Director General of Crisis Management of Isfahan Governorate said.

As tensions rise domestically, international reactions to the situation in Iran have intensified. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly expressed support for the protesters, stating Washington's backing for what he described as their courage.

In a post on social media platform X, Rubio said, "The United States supports the brave people of Iran."

His statement followed remarks by US President Donald Trump, who said the situation in Iran was being monitored "very closely" and warned of potential consequences if protesters were killed.

"Iran's in big trouble. It appears that people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible. We're watching the situation very carefully," Trump said on Friday.

He further warned that if Iranian authorities resorted to lethal force, the United States would respond.

"I made the statement very strongly that if they start killing people as they have in the past, we will get involved. We will be hitting them very hard where it hurts, and that doesn't mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very hard where it hurts, so we don't want that to happen," Trump said.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, also voiced her support, saying that ' Europe stands behind the protestors.

"Tehran's streets, and cities around the world, echo with the footsteps of Iranian women and men demanding freedom. Freedom to speak, to gather, to travel and above all to live freely. Europe stands fully behind them, she wrote in an X post.

Meanwhile, Iran's former Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, who has been living in exile since the 1979 revolution, issued a call for intensified civil resistance. In a message released on Saturday, Pahlavi urged workers in key economic sectors to strike and encouraged protesters to move toward occupying central areas of Tehran.

"I call upon the workers and employees of key economic sectors, especially transportation, oil, gas, and energy, to begin the process of nationwide strikes," Pahlavi said.

He also called on citizens to take to the streets over the weekend, urging coordinated action to reclaim public spaces.

"Starting from 6:00 PM, to take to the streets with flags, portraits, and national symbols to reclaim public spaces. Our goal is no longer merely to be present in the streets; the goal is to prepare for the capture and holding of city centres," he said.

Pahlavi appealed to members of Iran's security forces to slow down enforcement actions and disrupt what he described as the "machine of suppression."

"To the youth of the 'Immortal Guard' of Iran, and all members of the armed and security forces who have joined the National Cooperation Platform, I say: slow down and disrupt the machine of suppression more than ever before," he added.

International concern has also been voiced by Western nations. In a joint statement, the Foreign Ministers of Australia, Canada and the European Union praised the courage of Iranian citizens and condemned reports of a violent crackdown.

"We commend the bravery of the Iranian people as they stand up for their dignity and their fundamental right to peaceful protest," the statement said.

"We strongly condemn the killing of protestors, the use of violence, arbitrary arrests, and intimidation tactics by the Iranian regime against its own people," it added.

The joint statement called on the Iranian government to halt the use of aggressive force against demonstrators and to uphold citizens' rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

As protests continue across Iran, the situation remains tense, with authorities signalling a hardline response even as international pressure and global scrutiny intensify.

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