The Silence After the Storm
Tehran has returned to an uneasy calm, but the rhetoric is hotter than ever.
Following a brutal crackdown that silenced days of anti-government demonstrations, a senior hard-line cleric in Iran took to the pulpit on Friday with a chilling message. He called for the death penalty for detained protesters. He also issued a direct threat to President Donald Trump.
It is clear evidence that the rage gripping the Islamic Republic is nowhere near over.
Calls for “Hard Revenge”
The sermon by Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami was broadcast on state radio and it did not mince words.
Crowds chanted “Armed hypocrites should be put to death!” as Khatami described the protesters as “butlers” for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and “Trump’s soldiers.”
He warned that both leaders should expect “hard revenge from the system.”
“Americans and Zionists should not expect peace,” the cleric declared.
Trump’s Surprise Pivot
While Tehran preached fire and brimstone, President Trump struck a very different tone in Washington.
In a move that surprised many observers, Trump thanked Iran’s leaders for not executing hundreds of detained protesters. This conciliatory signal suggests he may be backing away from the military strikes he previously threatened.
“Iran canceled the hanging of over 800 people,” Trump told reporters. “I greatly respect the fact that they canceled.”
The President did not say who gave him this information. However, killing peaceful protesters was one of the “red lines” he had previously set for U.S. military action.
A Staggering Death Toll
Despite the President’s comments, the situation on the ground appears horrific.
Sources indicate the death toll has now hit 3,090. If accurate, this number exceeds any unrest in Iran in decades, rivaling the chaos of the 1979 revolution.
The government has not released official casualty figures. However, the crackdown successfully stifled demonstrations that began in late December over the failing economy before morphing into a direct challenge to the theocracy.
“Machine Guns” in the Streets
The internet remains blacked out across much of the country, forcing people to cross borders just to communicate with the outside world.
Travelers arriving in Turkey describe a war zone. Mehmet Önder, a Turkish businessman who was in Tehran when the unrest broke out, said he hid in his hotel as heavy weaponry was deployed.
“I understand guns because I served in the military,” Önder said. “The guns they were firing were not simple weapons. They were machine guns.”
The Exiled Prince Weighs In
As diplomatic channels work overtime to prevent a wider war, Iran’s exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi is urging the U.S. not to back down.
Speaking from Washington, Pahlavi said he still believes Trump’s promise that “help is on its way.”
“I believe the president is a man of his word,” Pahlavi said. He vowed to return to Iran and urged protesters to take to the streets again this weekend.
The Damage Report
Back in Tehran, officials are tallying the physical cost of the uprising. Khatami claimed that rioters damaged 350 mosques and 126 prayer halls. He also listed damage to hundreds of hospitals and ambulances.
Whether the streets remain quiet or erupt again this weekend remains to be seen. But for now, the message from the regime is clear. They are ready to punish anyone who challenges their power.