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New Delhi: Anti-government protests in Iran have entered the third week, with the rights groups claiming that the death toll has risen above 500. The protests were driven by economic reasons. Iran's economy has faced enormous strain from sanctions, financial mismanagement and pervasive corruption. Rising unemployment and soaring inflation have further fuelled public anger across the country.
On December 28, the Iranian rial crashed — the last nail in the coffin for an economy already reeling under pressure. This prompted the demonstrators to go all out against the regime. Interestingly, it was around this time that the US carried out air raids in Caracas, captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and toppled the government. Now, there are speculations that the Trump administration is mulling to do the same in Iran.
Amid the protests, US President Donald Trump had issued a warning against using violent force against the protesters. However, as the violence spiralled, the US has signalled that it could impose additional sanctions on Tehran and even take military action on it.
Trump reportedly claimed that Iran’s leadership, under Supreme Leader Seyyed Ali Hosseini Khamenei, reached out to him seeking negotiations after he issued threats of military action amid widespread anti-government protests in the Islamic Republic. He, however, added that "we may have to act before a meeting". This indicates that if protesters continue to getting killed, the US may be forced to put an end to it all.
Trump pointed out: "They're starting to, it looks like, and there seem to be some people killed that aren't supposed to be killed. These are violent if you call 'em leaders. I don't know if they're leaders or if they just rule through violence."
Close on the heels on Trump remarks came American commander-in-chief's comments, which indicate that the US may be readying itself for an attack on Iran. The commander-in-chief said the US military is closely monitoring the situation. "We're looking at it very seriously. The military's looking at it, and we're looking at some very strong options. We'll make a determination." A meeting is scheduled in the White House on Monday, apparently to discuss the Iran violence.
Trump is receiving "hourly" updates on the situation inside Iran. He emphatically said "we're gonna make a determination". Asked about the likelihood of retaliation by Iran or its allies, Trump delivered a stark warning. "If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they've never been hit before. They won't even believe it," he underlined.
A week earlier, Trump had warned that the US was “locked and loaded” if any peaceful protesters were killed, when the death toll stood at around 50. With that figure now reportedly rising to over 500, the US President has hinted that if Tehran believes Washington’s warnings were hollow or weak, it was gravely mistaken.
The recent US military action in Venezuela underscores this warning. Trump had been repeatedly issuing threats to Venezuela's Maduro. However, the Venezuelan President didn't pay heed. And had to pay a huge price for it. Experts have said that Trump is "seriously considering" strikes on Iran, emboldened by attacks on Venezuela.
There's no gainsaying that Iran's leadership is anxious now and they are willing to "negotiate". Protesters are also quite aware about the developments. Venezuela is weighing heavily on the minds of Iranian protesters. They know that US can topple the government, just as it did in Venezuela, and then leave it for Iranians to decide the next course of action. With US threats looming large, the Iranian authorities could mellow down and the unrest take a new direction.
