Iran warns US it will retaliate if attacked – as protests death toll soars | BBC News

Iran has told President Trump that it will retaliate if attacked, after two weeks of mass protests and warnings from President Trump that the US may intervene.

There’s been an increasingly brutal response from the Iranian regime to the protests, with evidence that hundreds of people have been killed by the security forces. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said more than 500 people had been killed and reported that more than 10,000 people had been arrested.

The protests have spread from the capital Tehran to cities and towns across the country, with open demands for an end to the religious regime led by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The US President Donald Trump has said he plans to “rescue” protesters if the Iranian government killed them.. He has stated on social media that: “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!”. It’s understood that President Trump is preparing to discuss military options with senior advisers.

The Speaker of Iran’s parliament said that would lead to retaliation, suggesting that Israel as well as US bases in the region could be targeted.

Reeta Chakrabarti presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Lyse Doucet.

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