Iran has warned it will retaliate if attacked by the United States as protests continued despite a tougher security response. BBC‑verified footage and eyewitness accounts indicate an escalation across more than 100 cities and towns, while medics at two hospitals reported receiving over 100 bodies within two days amid severe reporting constraints. ([archive.vn](https://archive.vn/2026.01.11-141259/https%3A/www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2jek15m8no.amp?utm_source=openai))
President Donald Trump said the United States “stands ready to help” and warned Tehran against killing protesters. Iran’s parliamentary speaker stated that Israeli as well as US military and shipping centres in the region would be “legitimate targets” if Washington strikes. Separately, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke by phone with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, according to a US official. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/rubio-netanyahu-discuss-iran-syria-gaza-axios-reports-2026-01-11/?utm_source=openai))
Protests that began in Tehran over soaring inflation have broadened into calls to end clerical rule under Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran’s attorney general said protesters would be considered “enemies of God” - a capital offence - while Khamenei dismissed demonstrators as “vandals” seeking to please the US president. President Masoud Pezeshkian has blamed the United States and Israel for the unrest, providing no evidence. ([archive.vn](https://archive.vn/2026.01.11-141259/https%3A/www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2jek15m8no.amp?utm_source=openai))
BBC Verify and BBC Persian authenticated footage that appears to show security officers firing at protesters in Tehran, Kermanshah and Bushehr. Multiple verified videos from Ilam show shots fired towards Imam Khomeini Hospital, where a rally had formed. Hospital staff in several cities reported being overwhelmed by casualties. ([archive.vn](https://archive.vn/2026.01.11-141259/https%3A/www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2jek15m8no.amp?utm_source=openai))
In Rasht, BBC Persian verified that 70 bodies were brought to one hospital on Friday night, while a health worker reported around 38 deaths at a Tehran hospital. Sources inside Iran said plain‑clothes officers have targeted people filming and those isolated in crowds. The national police chief announced arrests of “key figures” and alleged that a “significant proportion” of fatalities were caused by “trained and directed individuals”, without providing details. ([archive.vn](https://archive.vn/2026.01.11-141259/https%3A/www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2jek15m8no.amp?utm_source=openai))
A rights group reported more than 2,500 arrests since 28 December. US‑based Human Rights Activists in Iran said at least 162 protesters and 41 security personnel have been killed over the past two weeks, while Norway‑based Iran Human Rights reported at least 192 protesters killed. BBC Persian has confirmed the identities of 26 people, including six children. Amnesty International said it is analysing reports of intensified unlawful lethal force since Thursday. ([archive.vn](https://archive.vn/2026.01.11-141259/https%3A/www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2jek15m8no.amp?utm_source=openai))
The BBC and most international outlets say they are unable to report from inside Iran. Since Thursday, authorities have imposed a nationwide internet shutdown, limiting access largely to a domestic intranet with restricted external links. An expert told BBC Persian the current restrictions are more severe than during the 2022 “Women, Life, Freedom” protests, adding that satellite connections such as Starlink may be traceable and should be used cautiously. ([archive.vn](https://archive.vn/2026.01.11-141259/https%3A/www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2jek15m8no.amp?utm_source=openai))
Under international law, Iran - as a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights - must protect freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, subject to restrictions that are lawful, necessary and proportionate. UN bodies have repeatedly affirmed that rights online should be protected as offline and warned against blanket shutdowns; the UN General Assembly reinforced these standards in a 2023 resolution on digital technologies. ([2covenants.ohchr.org](https://2covenants.ohchr.org/About-ICCPR.html?utm_source=openai))
Any US military action would be constrained by the UN Charter’s prohibition on the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of states. Absent Security Council authorisation, the established exception is self‑defence in response to an armed attack, with prompt reporting to the Council; humanitarian concern alone does not provide a standalone legal basis. ([un.org](https://www.un.org/en/about-us/un-charter/full-text?utm_source=openai))
The parliamentary speaker’s reference to US military and shipping centres becoming targets raises immediate risk considerations for operators in the Gulf and adjoining sea lanes. Even limited interdiction attempts could force route diversions and higher insurance premia, with knock‑on effects for energy shipments and regional trade. ([archive.vn](https://archive.vn/2026.01.11-141259/https%3A/www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2jek15m8no.amp?utm_source=openai))
International messaging has started to harden. The UK’s Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, said those speaking out against Iran’s government should not face the threat of violence or reprisals, while officials continue to monitor consular and travel implications. Cooper has held the post since September 2025. ([archive.vn](https://archive.vn/2026.01.11-141259/https%3A/www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2jek15m8no.amp?utm_source=openai))
Exiled opposition figure Reza Pahlavi urged demonstrators to continue gathering while staying in groups, claiming that some security personnel are refusing orders to suppress protests - a claim the BBC could not verify. The current mobilisation is the most extensive since the 2022 uprising sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, when human rights groups reported more than 550 killed and some 20,000 detained. ([archive.vn](https://archive.vn/2026.01.11-141259/https%3A/www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2jek15m8no.amp?utm_source=openai))