Trump threatens Iran as more protest deaths reported

Deadly clashes between protesters and security forces flared across Iran over the weekend as demonstrations over rising living costs entered a second week, rights groups and local media said on Sunday.

At least 12 people, including security forces, have been killed since protests began with a shopkeepers' strike in Tehran on December 28, according to an AFP tally based on official reports.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said anti-government protests were reported overnight in Tehran, Shiraz and western regions.

The group said early Monday, demonstrations have taken place in over 220 locations in 26 of Iran's 31 provinces, resulting in more than 990 arrests.

Iranian state media has provided little information about the demonstrations.

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The unrest marks Iran's most serious protests since 2022, when the death of 22-year-old Jina Mahsa Amini in police custody triggered nationwide demonstrations.

While smaller in scale, the latest protests pose a fresh challenge to the 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, following a brief war with Israel in June that damaged nuclear facilities.

Norway-based rights groups Hengaw and Iran Human Rights said four Kurdish protesters were killed in Malekshahi county on Saturday, with dozens wounded.

Iranian media reported one security force member was killed by "rioters."

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump threatened Iran on Sunday, warning that the regime would get "hit very hard" by the US if more protesters die.

"We're watching it very closely. If they start killing people like they have in the past, I think they're going to get hit very hard by the United States," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, without elaborating.

This comes after last week Trump warned that if Iran "violently kills peaceful protesters," the US would intervene.

Protests in Iran erupted after a sharp currency collapse following United Nations sanctions, with $1 (€0.86) now worth about 1.4 million rials.

The prices of regular staples such as meat and rice have risen significantly as Iran has been struggling with an inflation rate of some 40%.

Initially led by traders in Tehran, the demonstrations have widened into demands for broad change and have spread nationwide.

In response to economic pressure, the government announced a temporary monthly allowance equivalent to about $7 for four months.