Iran Regime in ‘Survival Mode’ as Protests Spread Nationwide, Trump Warns of U.S. Action

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – Senior officials in Iran have acknowledged the Islamic Republic has been “thrust into survival mode” as the country faces its largest and most violent wave of protests in three years, with unrest spreading across most provinces and mounting international pressure on the regime.

At least 17 people have been killed during a week of demonstrations, according to rights groups, with dozens more wounded and hundreds arrested as clashes between protesters and security forces intensified. Other tallies place the death toll even higher, underscoring the difficulty of verifying events amid state media restrictions and widespread internet disruptions.

The protests, which began among bazaar traders angered by economic collapse, have since expanded to university campuses and dozens of cities nationwide. Demonstrators have openly chanted against Iran’s clerical rulers as inflation soars above 36 percent and the rial has lost roughly half its value against the dollar, deepening public hardship.

According to officials familiar with internal deliberations, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council met following warnings from U.S. President Donald Trump, who threatened intervention if peaceful protesters are killed. The council reportedly debated how to contain unrest without further inflaming public anger, while also preparing contingency plans for possible military strikes.

Trump reiterated his warning over the weekend, telling reporters aboard Air Force One that the United States was watching events “very closely” and cautioning that Iran would be “hit very hard” if security forces resorted to mass killings. His remarks followed a post on Truth Social declaring the U.S. was “locked and loaded” should violence escalate.

Amid the turmoil, intelligence reports cited by British media claim Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, has an escape plan to flee Tehran for Moscow if security forces fail to suppress the uprising or defect. The plan, reportedly dubbed “Plan B,” would involve close family members and senior aides and mirrors the flight of former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad to Russia in late 2024.

President Masoud Pezeshkian has adopted the most conciliatory tone yet from Iranian leadership, urging authorities to respond to protesters with a “kind and responsible” approach and acknowledging that force alone cannot calm society. Still, security forces have continued mass arrests, including detaining alleged protest organizers and online activists accused of spreading what authorities call “fake posts.”

The most severe clashes have been reported in western Iran, particularly in Kurdish regions, where rights groups say members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps opened fire on demonstrators, killing several people. Funerals for slain protesters have themselves turned into rallies, with mourners chanting slogans against the government and Khamenei.

International reactions have intensified as unrest grows. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced public support for Iranian protesters, calling the moment potentially pivotal and expressing solidarity with Iranians seeking freedom and justice.

Analysts say the Islamic Republic is facing a convergence of crises: renewed international sanctions over its nuclear program, acute water and electricity shortages, a looming recession forecast for 2026, and now a nationwide protest movement testing the regime’s grip on power.

As demonstrations continue into a second week, Iran’s leadership appears caught between restraint and repression—while Washington signals that any large-scale bloodshed could trigger severe consequences.

Latest Worthy News