Tensions Rise as Iran Warns U.S. and Israel Over Possible Intervention – Iran warned on Sunday that it would retaliate against Israel and U.S. military bases if the United States launches strikes on Iranian territory. The warning came as Israeli sources said Israel was on high alert amid fears of possible U.S. involvement.
The threat was issued while Iran’s leadership faces its largest wave of anti-government protests since 2022. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned Iranian authorities in recent days, urging them not to use force against demonstrators. On Saturday, Trump said the United States was “ready to help.”
Speaking in Iran’s parliament, Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf cautioned against what he called a serious “miscalculation.” He said that if Iran were attacked, Israel and all U.S. military bases and naval vessels in the region would be considered legitimate targets. Qalibaf is a former commander of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards.
Protests have spread across Iran since December 28, driven initially by rising prices and inflation before turning into broader opposition against the ruling clerical system. Authorities have intensified security measures to suppress the unrest.
A U.S.-based human rights group, HRANA, reported that at least 116 people have been killed so far, most of them protesters. The figure also includes 37 members of the security forces. Iranian authorities have not released official casualty numbers and accuse the United States and Israel of encouraging the unrest.
Israeli sources said the country’s security services are on high alert, though officials have not provided details. Israel’s government declined to comment, and the military did not respond to media inquiries.
Israel and Iran fought a brief but intense conflict last year, during which the United States joined Israel in launching airstrikes. Iran later retaliated by firing missiles at a U.S. air base in Qatar.
Information coming out of Iran has been limited due to a nationwide internet blackout imposed by authorities. Internet monitoring group Netblocks reported that connectivity remained at around 1% of normal levels.
Videos shared on social media showed large crowds gathering in parts of Tehran at night, beating on metal objects in apparent protest. Iranian state television, meanwhile, aired funeral processions for members of the security forces killed during the unrest and reported attacks on mosques and security facilities, blaming what it described as “rioters” and “terrorists.”
Iran’s police chief said security forces had increased efforts to restore order, while the Revolutionary Guards accused armed groups of targeting state institutions.
Meanwhile, U.S. and Israeli officials have been in close contact. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke by phone on Saturday, though details of their discussion were not disclosed.
A senior U.S. intelligence official described the situation in Iran as an “endurance game,” with protesters trying to maintain pressure and authorities seeking to regain control without triggering foreign intervention.
Israel has not publicly indicated plans to intervene, despite long-standing tensions with Iran over its nuclear and missile programs. Netanyahu recently warned that any Iranian attack on Israel would have serious consequences, while noting that developments inside Iran are still unfolding.
