Iran Mass Protests Face Deadly Crackdown 

REPORTER:   

Shrieks of anguish outside this Tehran morgue where a crowd is identifying those killed in recent protests. This footage reached the world on Sunday—two weeks into an anti-government movement that’s swept Iran. When it was filmed, though, is hard to say—as cut internet and phone lines leave the country in the dark. 

Despite the blackout, footage like this is getting out. And chants like this one, calling for the overthrow of the mullahs, or religious clerics who rule the country, show what protesters want. Some chants go even further, calling for the return of Iran’s exiled royals—ousted by the clerics in 1979. An end to theocracy after more than 40 years—it’s a far cry from the economic grievances that sparked these protests. 

Rights groups outside Iran say they also have some idea of how the government is putting the protests down—both with arrests and forced confessions and through lethal violence. 

BITE:   

Right now we have a number of 490 confirmed protester deaths - that includes eight children - and we are still right now investigating over 500 additional cases. So that means that, should we confirm all ofthese numbers, the number of those killed will exceed 1,000. 

REPORTER:   

The Iranian government is pushing back. It sees the protests as a plot by long-time rivals Israel and the US—and it says any intervention would make Israel as well as US bases and ships legitimate targets. 

BITE:   

They have created anger in people’s hearts. And on behalf of what people? America and Israel, that are sitting over there, giving these people lessons, saying "you go, we are with you". Those same people that struck this country, killed our children. They are giving you instructions: "go do these things, we are here, you go destroy things, we are right behind you". 

REPORTER:   

But US President Donald Trump hasn’t backed down from his support for the protesters. And he says any Iranian counterstrike would bring an overwhelming US response. 

BITE:   

We'll consider things, targets they wouldn't that they wouldn't believe. If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they've never been hit before. They won't even believe it. I have options that are so strong. 

REPORTER:   

Iranians, themselves, seem fired up and ready to keep going on their own at least for now. Iran has seen mass protests come and go in the past—with the streets filled as recently as 2022. It will take time to see if this wave is different. But the footage that’s come out suggests many Iranians are dreaming of a much different future for their country. 

Luffy Li and John Van Trieste for TaiwanPlus.