Unrest and chaos in Iran continue unabated, weeks after protests against the Khamenei-led regime took over the country, sparking massive demonstrations, arrests and killings. The death toll amid protests has climbed to 4,029, most of them protestors, activists reportedly said on Tuesday.
Besides, the Iranian state TV was hacked to air two clips by exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi, and then footage of some security forces who appeared to be wearing police uniforms. The clips tried to convey that they had “laid down their weapons and swore an oath of allegiance to the people”, reported news agency AP.
Here are some latest developments on the Iran unrest:
Over 4,000 dead, more likely killed: The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reportedly said on Tuesday that the number of those dead amid unrest in Iran has climed to 4,029, among them 3,786 demonstrators, 180 security forces, 28 children and 35 were people not part of the protests. According to AP, the human rights agency fears many more may have been killed.
Hackers disrupt Iranian state TV: The Iranian state television satellite transmissions reportedly faced disruptions on Sunday night after hackers managed to take control and aired two clips of exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi, whose call for demonstrations had triggered widespread protests in Iran. Multiple channels broadcast by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting aired two clips of Pahlavi and footage of security forces. “This is a message to the army and security forces,” one graphic read, as per an AP report. “Don’t point your weapons at the people. Join the nation for the freedom of Iran.”
Nuclear risks to Iran crisis? Amid the spiraling tensions between the United States and Iran over the crackdown on protestors and a mounting death toll, analysts have reportedly warned that the crisis could have nuclear risks. Despite US President Donald Trump seemingly backing away from a military strike on Iran, a US carrier passing Singapore to enter the Strait of Malacca has yet again sparked concerns. According to AP, David Albright, a former nuclear weapons inspector in Iraq, has said that in a scenario of internal chaos in Iran, the government could “lose the ability to protect its nuclear assets.”
Iranians part of ‘riots’ asked to surrender: Amid the ongoing crackdown on protestors, Iran’s top police officer reportedly gave 3-day ultimatum to people who joined what authorities have deemed “riots”, saying they could face serious action for failing to do so. Iran’s police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan urged people “deceived” into joining the “riots” to turn themselves in and receive lighter punishment. Those “who became unwittingly involved in the riots are considered to be deceived individuals, not enemy soldiers” and “will be treated with leniency”, he told state television, according to AFP.
Protests against the Khamenei-led Iranian regime began last month on December 28. What started as a protest against the country’s dwindling economy, a sharp fall in the currency, and rising prices, later snowballed into nationwide demonstrations and calls for an end to Khamenei’s regime.
The US also came into the picture after Donald Trump drew two red lines – the killing of peaceful protesters and Tehran conducting mass executions in the wake of the demonstrations, as he warned Khamenei.
What has further fuelled concerns of a possible escalation is the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and other American military vessels reportedly entering the Strait of Malacca on a route that could take them to the Middle East.