Day 14 of Iran’s widespread protests sees citizens challenging authority nationwide, undeterred by a draconian 60-hour internet blackout. The digital silence compounds frustrations as the government faces mounting pressure. Tehran’s political elite, incensed by American cautions, retaliated through Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf’s aggressive rhetoric, prompting Israel to activate high-alert protocols.
In a dramatic live broadcast from parliament, Ghalibaf fielded chaos as MPs dashed to microphones, bellowing anti-U.S. cries. The veteran hardliner, once a presidential hopeful, affirmed security apparatus’ resolve and threatened devastating responses to any U.S. incursion, naming Israel and American forces as prime targets.
Addressing the nation, he vowed, ‘The harshest measures await protesters, with severe penalties for arrests.’ Branding Israel ‘occupied territory,’ Ghalibaf specified that aggression would render regional U.S. military sites fair game.
Heightened vigilance grips Israel, per The Times of Israel, over prospects of U.S. entanglement in the demonstrations. Internet watchdog NetBlocks notes the blackout’s extension far beyond initial protest triggers.
IRGC-linked Tasnim News chronicled escalating brutality in Fars province’s Mamasani, where intruders torched a judicial site’s guard post Saturday evening. Prosecutor Elahi recounted fires ravaging several rooms, climbing floors until quelled by arriving security.
Iran’s internal fire risks spilling outward, testing international fault lines. With no relief in sight, the regime’s iron fist meets popular resistance head-on.