Tehran on Sunday threatened to retaliate against Israel and US bases in the event of US strikes on Iran, issuing a warning to Washington as Israeli sources said Israel was very wary of any US intervention.
As Iran’s clerical establishment faces its biggest anti-government protests since 2022, US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene in recent days, warning Iranian leaders against using the power of protesters. On Saturday, Trump said the US is “ready to help”.
The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, speaking in parliament on Sunday, warned the United States of “miscalculation”.
Iran’s warning to the US
“Let us be clear: in the case of an attack on Iran, the areas attacked (by Israel) and all US bases and ships will be our legitimate targets,” said Qalibaf, the former commander of the Revolutionary Guards in Iran.
Three Israeli sources, who were present at the Israeli security talks over the weekend, said Israel was at a high level, but did not elaborate on what that meant.
An Israeli government spokesman declined to comment. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Israel and Iran fought a 12-day war in June, during which the US joined Israel in launching airstrikes. Iran retaliated against those US strikes by firing missiles at a US airbase in Qatar.
Protests have spread across Iran since December 28, beginning in response to rising inflation, and a rapid political transition with protesters calling for an end to clerical rule.
Authorities blame the US and Israel for inciting the unrest.
Internet blackout
The flow of information from Iran has been disrupted by an internet blackout imposed by the authorities since Thursday.
The US-based human rights organization, HRANA, said the death toll has risen to 116, most of whom are protesters, but including 37 members of the security forces.
Iran state TV broadcasts funerals in western Iranian cities such as Gachsaran and Yasuj for soldiers killed in protests.
A social media video posted on Saturday showed crowds of people gathered in Tehran’s Punak neighborhood at night, banging on a bridge or other metal objects in protest. Reuters confirmed the location.
Iran’s rulers have ended repeated riots, most recently in 2022 with the death in custody of a woman accused of violating dress codes.
Donald Trump
Trump, writing on social media on Saturday, said: “Iran is looking for FREEDOM, perhaps more than ever. The USA is ready to help!!!”
In a phone call on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the possibility of US intervention in Iran, according to an Israeli source who was present at the meeting.
The American official confirmed that the two men spoke but did not say what topics they discussed.
The US intelligence chief on Saturday described the situation in Iran as an “endurance game”. The opposition was trying to maintain pressure until key government figures fled or switched sides, while authorities were trying to sow enough fear to clear the streets without giving the United States a reason to intervene, the official said.
Israel has shown no desire to intervene, as there is a rift between the two major enemies over Israel’s concerns about Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
In an interview he had with the Economist published on Friday, Netanyahu said there would be dire consequences for Iran if it were to attack Israel. Speaking about the protests, he said: “Everything else, I think we have to see what happens inside Iran.”
