Live Blog: Trump: 'Iran Is In Big Trouble'

In a statement on January 6, Amnesty International called the attack on a hospital in Ilam by Iran's security forces on January 4 a "clear violation of international law" and called for an end to the illegal use of force and firearms against protesters and the arbitrary detention of people seeking treatment at the hospital.

An eyewitness told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that during a rally on January 3 in Malekshahi, IRGC forces opened fire directly on protesters, killing and wounding a number of people.

Those wounded during the shooting were transferred to the Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ilam due to the lack of a hospital in Malekshahi. Security forces stormed the hospital on the night of January 3, with clashes continuing through the morning of January 4.

Amnesty International said that the IRGC and special police units surrounded the hospital on Saturday night.

"The officers used shotguns and fired tear gas into the hospital premises, broke the glass doors to enter and beat people inside the hospital, including medical staff," said the statement.

Citing informed sources, Amnesty International said security forces entered the hospital several times and detained injured protesters who were receiving treatment, along with their family members.

Earlier, the US State Department’s Persian account on the X-net had called the attack by Iranian security forces on the Ilam hospital a "crime against humanity."

Video footage posted on social media shows security forces firing tear gas at Sina Hospital in Tehran.

Protesters gathered and chanted slogans in the vicinity of the hospital despite the presence of security forces.

Iran’s Defense Council has warned that the Islamic republic would not confine itself to responding after an attack by its adversaries.

A statement issued on January 6 by the Defense Council's secretariat did not spell out what such a response might entail, but said Iran considers “tangible signs of threat” to be part of its security calculus and that, within the framework of “legitimate defense,” it does not see itself as limited to post-attack retaliation.

The statement followed comments by the US President Donald Trump, who has twice explicitly warned that Washington would deliver a severe blow to Tehran if Iran’s government killed peaceful protesters.

Trump said on January 3 that Washington was "locked and loaded" to respond if Iranian security forces kill more protesters. He reiterated the threat on January 4, telling reporters that Iran would get "hit very hard" if more protesters die during demonstrations.

These remarks triggered strong reactions from Iranian officials.

Separately, Mohammad Bagher Qhalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s parliament, warned that “all U.S. bases and forces across the region would be legitimate targets” in response to any potential provocation.

The Defense Council statement stressed that Iran’s “security, independence, and territorial integrity are inviolable red lines” and that any aggression or continued hostile behavior would be met with a “proportionate, decisive, and determining response.”

Iran's currency crash seems to be continuing, with the open market price of one US dollar exceeding 1,480,000 rials on January 6, compared to 1,400,000 rials the previous day.

Meanwhile, protesters have been assembling at Tehran's iconic Grand Bazaar. Images have been shared online showing shops and stalls closed, with merchants chanting slogans, calling for "freedom" and denouncing inflation and high prices. Security officers seem to have been trying to disperse the demonstrators with tear gas.

A Radio Farda listener sent a video on January 5 showing a heavy security force presence in Sabzeh Meydan Square in Zanjan, northwestern Iran, where protests have taken place in recent days. A voice heard in the video says the forces had gathered to create fear among the people.

Iran has arrested more than 1,000 people since protests began, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), though the exact number remains difficult to verify as demonstrations continue across cities and towns nationwide.

Diako Alavi, a Paris-based journalist with expertise on Iran’s Kurdish regions, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that confirming detainee figures during peak protest periods is “extremely difficult,” and questioned the reliability of official statements and charges brought against those detained.

In Tehran, an unnamed lawyer cited by local observer Bahman Daroshafaei estimated that some 40-50 people are being detained daily, adding that many of those present in the courts were parents of young detainees.

Social media reports indicate that some arrests were carried out during street protests, while others appeared to involve random detentions by security forces.

Several student activists were among those detained. Some, including Ali Taheri Kia, Mobin Safdari and Samiar Motalebi, remain in custody at undisclosed locations, while others, such as Sarira Karimi and Alireza Rasooli, have been released.

There are also reports of minors being detained, including a 15-year-old identified as Iliya Akvanian in the southwestern city of Yasuj who was later released. His uncle is a human rights activist based outside Iran.

Judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei on January 5 accused the United States and Israel of openly supporting the demonstrations. He also instructed the country’s prosecutor-general and provincial prosecutors to show “no tolerance or leniency” toward detainees.

Human rights media outlets covering news from the Kurdish regions of Iran have published videos of the funeral and mourning ceremonies for two brothers who were reportedly shot during protests in the Jafarabad district of the western Kermanshah Province on January 3.
The younger of the two brothers, Rasul, 17, died at the scene, while his older sibling, Reza, 20, died later in the hospital, according to reports.

RFE/RL's Radio Farda’s Hannah Kaviani spoke with with Raz Zimmt, director of the Iran and the Shi'ite axis research program at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), on reports of a potential new conflict between Iran and Israel. Zimmt says he does not believe an escalation is imminent, but warns that the risk of miscalculation remains high. Here are some excerpts from the interview:

...whenever there are protests in Iran, there is this wishful thinking in Israel that this time it might result in a regime change in Iran. So it's very clear that the Israeli objective -- I would say the ultimate objective -- is to see some kind of regime change in Iran, especially today, when we see those protests, even though they are not wider or more significant than compared to the previous rounds of protests in Iran in recent years, but the sense in Israel is that due to the ongoing economic crisis and the shortages of water and electricity and the crisis of legitimacy and the impact of the war, it's becoming more and more difficult for the Iranian regime to deal effectively with those protests.

And then, of course, what happened in Venezuela and the statements made by Trump certainly increases the -- I would say the appetite in Israel -- that something might happen in Iran that could certainly bring about a change in the regime.

...from the Israeli point of view, the simplest conclusion is that here we see again the readiness of President Trump to use force, if necessary, to bring out some kind of change. Of course, nobody speaks about regime change in Venezuela, but even if Trump decides to strike several headquarters of the revolutionary guards or the Basij [volunteer Islamic militia] in Iran in retaliation for the killing of demonstrators in Iran, the sense in Israel is that this could certainly give additional support to the opposition inside Iran.

So, I think the bottom line is that Israel certainly considers what happened in Venezuela -- but also the direct threats against Iran -- as something which could perhaps be implemented in Iran as well, not just in Latin America.

Good morning. We'll get the live blog rolling today with some comments that were made while we were away.

First this from former Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi:

And also this from the former US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley:

We are now closing the live blog for today, but we'll be back tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. Central European time with more coverage of events in Iran as they happen. Until then, good night and take care.