- Iran has warned that it will attack U.S. military bases in the Middle East if Washington interferes with ongoing protests, following President Trump’s strong remarks in support of protesters.
Iran has warned the United States not to interfere with its ongoing nationwide protests, saying such action would trigger attacks on U.S. military bases across the Middle East. The warning was issued to Reuters on Wednesday by a senior Iranian official.
The threat comes as tensions rise after U.S. President Donald Trump issued repeated statements expressing support for Iranian protesters. Human rights groups have reported thousands of deaths in Iran’s largest protests in decades.
Some personnel have been advised to leave the U.S. al-Udeid air base in Qatar by Wednesday evening, according to three diplomats. Diplomats stressed that the move was precautionary and did not amount to a full evacuation. One diplomat described it as a “change in posture” rather than an “order to withdraw”, similar to steps taken before an Iranian missile attack last year.
In an interview with CBS News on Tuesday, Trump warned that he would take “very strong action” if Iranian authorities executed protesters. “If they hung them up, you would see something,” he said. Trump also urged Iranians to continue protests and take control of institutions, adding that “help is coming.”
The Iranian official, who requested anonymity, said Tehran had contacted U.S. allies in the region to prevent Washington from taking military action. According to him, Iran has warned countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Türkiye that US military bases on their soil will be targeted if Washington attacks Iran.
Information from inside Iran remains limited due to internet outages. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said it had verified the deaths of 2,403 protesters and 147 government-related deaths. However, an Iranian official put the death toll at around 2,000.
Iranian authorities accuse the United States and Israel of fueling the unrest, which they label terrorism. Iran’s chief justice said during an inspection of a Tehran prison that speedy trials and punishment of those accused of violence are necessary to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
