The Iranian regime slaughtered upwards of 500 protesters over the weekend, marking one of the bloodiest crackdowns in the Islamic Republic’s history, as President Donald Trump weighs a range of military options that reportedly include precision strikes on regime assets and cyber warfare.
The Iranian government intensified its response to the popular uprising after cutting internet services on Thursday. The internet blackout has made tracking the number of dead difficult, but accounts from human rights organizations and international media outlets reach anywhere from 500 to 2,000 killed, a violent reaction to a protest movement that has spread to nearly every major city in all 31 Iranian provinces. Bodies are reportedly stacking up in hospitals around the country, with medical staff overwhelmed by the number of killed and injured through Sunday afternoon.
Khosro Isfahani, a senior research analyst with the National Union for Democracy in Iran, said the regime has taken to tossing bodies into the back of pickup trucks and dumping them in front of the deceased’s loved ones' homes, a tactic meant to intimidate the Islamic Republic’s opponents and keep protesters off the streets. The government’s crackdown has thus far not quelled the uprising, Isfahani told the Washington Free Beacon.
"They are brutally killing people, the numbers are extremely high. But the thing that’s coming as a surprise to many is that Iranians are not relenting," he said. "They are not giving up, they are staying on the streets. The numbers are growing on the streets and people are fighting back."
The crackdown comes ahead of a Tuesday briefing for Trump and senior cabinet members, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, on options that range from military intervention to economic measures. The Wall Street Journal reported that "no imminent action" is expected after that briefing, but NBC News reported that Trump has already been presented with "preliminary plans" for an attack on Iran and the president has repeatedly vowed to use force to stop the regime from killing civilians.
"Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Saturday, his most recent comments on the matter. "The USA stands ready to help!!!"
A State Department spokesman told the Free Beacon that the Trump administration is closely monitoring the uprising, adding that "the Iranian regime is fully aware of President Trump’s warning and should not test U.S. resolve." Asked about the regime’s threats to activate a global network of terror cells in response to the protests, the State Department said the Islamic Republic "should carefully consider the consequences of its actions and not underestimate the resolve of the United States under President Trump’s leadership."
Though Trump has not yet decided on a formal military plan, he is "seriously considering authorizing a strike," the New York Times reported.
In a stark contrast from the last waves of popular protests in 2019 and 2022—when the regime killed more than 1,500 and 500 civilians, respectively—the Iranian people have faith that Trump will make good on his repeated promises to intervene.
"What we are looking for, hoping for, is President Trump delivering on what he has promised, to stand with the Iranian people," Isfahani told the Free Beacon.
Reports also suggest that the Iranian government is becoming increasingly desperate as the protests grow, imploring its Iraq-based militias to provide assistance.
Iranian state-controlled news outlets, meanwhile, played down the unrest over the weekend and warned the United States that any military action will incur "heavier losses."
