Iran’s parliament speaker warned Sunday that U.S. military bases and Israel would become “legitimate targets” should America launch strikes against the Islamic Republic over its ongoing crackdown on anti-government protests, raising the specter of rapid escalation amid Tehran’s worst unrest in years.
The threat came as the death toll from the demonstrations topped 116, with nationwide internet blackouts stretching past 60 hours and President Donald Trump reiterating U.S. readiness to back those seeking “freedom.”
Threats amid spiraling protests
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf issued the warning during a session in Tehran, stating that any U.S. military action in response to the protests would make American forces and Israel fair game for retaliation. The remarks followed Trump’s Truth Social post declaring that Iran was “looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before” and that the United States “stands ready to help!!!”
The demonstrations, now in their second week, began over the collapse of the rial, which trades at more than 4 to the dollar, and have morphed into direct calls to topple the theocratic regime, with chants of “Death to the dictator” echoing in Tehran, Mashhad, and other cities. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported 116 deaths, including 37 security personnel, as the government enforces a near-total internet shutdown to choke coordination and obscure the crackdown’s scale.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused protesters of “ruining their own streets” to please Trump, while judiciary officials vowed “no leniency” and deployed IRGC Ground Forces, a rare internal move signaling the unrest’s severity.
U.S., Israel on high alert
Israel has placed its military on high alert for possible Iranian retaliation, with officials monitoring Tehran’s rhetoric closely after last year’s Twelve-Day War, when the two foes traded missiles and drones in June 2025 before a U.S.-brokered ceasefire. That conflict saw Israel bomb Iranian nuclear sites, with Tehran firing over 550 ballistic missiles in response; both sides have since rebuilt capabilities amid fragile calm.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday about potential intervention in Iran, according to Der Spiegel, though no imminent strikes are planned. American officials told the Wall Street Journal of “preliminary discussions” on military options but emphasized no immediate action. With protests straining Tehran’s resources, some analysts see a window for pressure, though risks of wider war loom large.
For EU audiences, the standoff shows how important transatlantic security is: any conflict between the U.S. and Iran could raise energy prices, disrupt shipping in the Gulf, and pull NATO into missile defense roles, as happened in 2025.
Protests: from economy to regime change
What started as anger over soaring prices has escalated into the regime’s biggest challenge since the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom uprising. Demonstrators in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar and provincial cities have burned government buildings and clashed with security forces, who have fired live rounds, tear gas and birdshot. Exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi has called for mass defiance, urging Iranians to shout anti-regime slogans from rooftops despite the blackout.
The rial’s freefall, exacerbated by U.S. sanctions tied to Iran’s nuclear program, lit the fuse, with basic goods now unaffordable for many. Reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for calm, but hardliners are in charge and say that the unrest is being caused by outside forces. The IRGC’s move to western cities like Kermanshah shows that Tehran sees the protests as a threat to its existence.
Trump’s rhetoric and regime calculus
Trump’s vocal support echoing his first-term “maximum pressure” on Iran, has Tehran pointing fingers at Washington. The president warned leaders against firing on protesters and hinted at backing regime change, fueling Ghalibaf’s counter-threats. U.S. officials have held talks on action but stress no rush, balancing domestic calls for intervention against war fatigue post-2025.
Israeli social media has erupted with calls to overthrow Tehran’s government, capitalizing on the protests, though Jerusalem has not signaled direct moves. For global readers, the dynamic recalls 1979’s revolution: economic despair meets foreign meddling accusations, with nuclear tensions ever-present after last year’s strikes on Fordow and other sites.
Risks of escalation
A U.S. strike perhaps targeting IRGC bases or nuclear facilities, could ignite a multi-front response: missiles on U.S. Gulf bases, Houthi attacks on shipping, Hezbollah barrages on Israel. Iran’s battered but resilient missile arsenal, tested in 2025, remains potent. Tehran’s crackdown risks internal collapse but also rallies hardliners, potentially accelerating nuclear breakout if cornered.
The EU is keeping a close eye on the situation because any war would hurt energy markets, which are already unstable, and make it harder for refugees to get to safety. There don’t seem to be many diplomatic off-ramps, since Khamenei has turned down talks because he thinks they are part of a “enemy” plot. Protests continue even though there are blackouts, but keeping up the momentum without communication is important.
For now, words are more powerful than actions, but Iran’s threats against Israel and U.S. assets show that Tehran is ready to make the fight bigger, which could lead to even more chaos in the region than the 2025 war.
