{"id":688974,"date":"2026-01-11T13:28:44","date_gmt":"2026-01-11T13:28:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/688974\/"},"modified":"2026-01-11T13:28:44","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T13:28:44","slug":"us-and-israel-discuss-strikes-as-almost-200-killed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/688974\/","title":{"rendered":"US and Israel discuss strikes as \u2018almost 200\u2019 killed"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kemi Badenoch said she would support UK military action against Iran as part of a coalition of countries including the US.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve seen the recent RAF strikes, for instance, in Syria,\u201d the Tory leader told Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg on the BBC. \u201cWithout over speculating \u2014 we are talking about hypothetical situations \u2014 we have worked in alliance with other countries. That is the right way to do it, and to make sure that we create a stable Iran.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said Iran would \u201chappily wipe out the UK\u201d and added: \u201cI don\u2019t have an issue with removing a regime that is trying to harm us\u201d.<\/p>\n

Distraught doctor appeals for help <\/p>\n

In an audio recording released online that purports to be from Shiraz, south central Iran, a doctor appeals for help to deal with a number of patients he claims to have received shotgun wounds to the head.<\/p>\n

\u201cGuys we can\u2019t make phone calls,\u201d he says in the message shared on social media, which has not been independently verified.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need surgeons, we need neurosurgeons \u2026 orthopaedic surgeons \u2026 ophthalmologists \u2026 we need surgeons right now,\u201d the message adds. \u201cWe can\u2019t call them to come in, about 20 patients have arrived already, we can\u2019t do anything for any of them. Call the media. Tell them to broadcast this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHospitals need help\u201d, the unidentified doctor says, before adding of his patients: \u201cAll of them were shot in the head.\u201d<\/p>\n

Internet \u2018more important than bread\u2019<\/p>\n

Restoring the internet to Iran is more important than bread, according to a resident in the east of the country.<\/p>\n

While online and phone communications with the outside world are blocked by Iranian networks, some citizens close to the border can pick up weak signals from neighbouring countries to send messages out.<\/p>\n

In a text message in Farsi, shared with The Times, one said: \u201cNothing is more important than the internet. Right now [it\u2019s] more important than bread.<\/p>\n

The message added: \u201cUnfortunately not much we can do about that unless the US does something.\u201d<\/p>\n

US flexing its military might worldwide<\/p>\n

Speculation that the US could attack Iran follows military intervention in Syria, where American forces struck targets linked to Islamic State on Saturday.<\/p>\n

President Trump directed the bombing as part of Operation Hawkeye Strike in retaliation for a deadly attack on US forces in Palmyra last month.<\/p>\n

In his first year back in office, the US leader has ordered strikes on targets ranging from Mexico and Venezuela to Nigeria and Somalia.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Read more: <\/b>US bombs more Islamic State targets in Syria<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Israel: Iranians deserve freedom <\/p>\n

Israel supports the Iranian people in their \u201cstruggle for freedom\u201d, the foreign minister has said. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have any hostility with the people of Iran,\u201d Gideon Sa\u2019ar said in a video posted online today. \u201cWe have a huge problem, which is not only our problem, it\u2019s a regional and international problem, with the Iranian regime, which is the number one exporter of terrorism, radicalism.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sa\u2019ar added that he wished the protesters \u201cmuch success\u201d, adding: \u201cWe see the people of Iran and frankly we wish them much success. We support the Iranian people\u2019s struggle for freedom. We think they deserve freedom, a better future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Iran and Israel fought a 12-day war in June last year in which Israel, and later the US, attacked Iranian military and nuclear facilities.<\/p>\n

\"Israeli<\/p>\n

Israeli air defence systems intercept Iranian missiles over Tel Aviv last June<\/p>\n

MENAHEM KAHANA\/AFP\/GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n

Pope prays for the victims\"The<\/p>\n

The Pope at the Vatican on Sunday<\/p>\n

VATICAN MEDIA\/AFP\/GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n

The Pope offered prayers for those killed in protests in Iran and in the conflict in Syria during his weekly Angelus prayer on Sunday.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy thoughts turn to what is happening these days in the Middle East, particularly in Iran and Syria, where persistent tensions are causing the deaths of many people,\u201d he said at the Vatican. \u201cI hope and pray for the patient cultivation of dialogue and peace, for the common good of society as a whole.\u201d<\/p>\n

Netanyahu applauds \u2018heroic citizens of Iran\u2019\"Binyamin<\/p>\n

Binyamin Netanyahu<\/p>\n

NATHAN HOWARD\/REUTERS<\/p>\n

Binyamin Netanyahu has called for Israel and Iran to become \u201cfaithful partners\u201d once the regime falls. The Israeli prime minister said before a weekly cabinet meeting this morning that his country sent strength to the \u201cheroic and courageous citizens of Iran\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will do good things together for the benefit of both peoples,\u201d he said. \u201cWe all hope that the Persian nation will soon be freed from the yoke of tyranny, and when that day arrives, Israel and Iran will once again become faithful partners in building a future of prosperity and peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

Earlier today, Iran\u2019s parliamentary speaker said the Islamic Republic would strike Israel and US targets if there is foreign intervention in the country. Israel is on high alert for any attack, officials said.<\/p>\n

Security forces \u2018fire tear gas inside hospital\u2019\"A<\/p>\n

A still said to show security forces attacking Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ilam province<\/p>\n

Security forces broke into a hospital, fired tear gas and sought to apprehend injured protesters and remove the bodies of the deceased, witnesses in the western province of Ilam have claimed. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis tyrannical regime\u2019s deliberate targeting of medical facilities, medics, women, infants and children should be considered a crime against humanity and violation of all human rights norms,\u201d Osama Malik, an international law expert, said.<\/p>\n

President accuses US of orchestrating \u2018rioters\u2019\"Masoud<\/p>\n

Masoud Pezeshkian on Iranian state TV on Sunday<\/p>\n

IRIB\/REUTERS TV<\/p>\n

The Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, said today that the US and Israel want to \u201csow chaos and disorder\u201d in Iran by ordering riots, and called upon Iranians to distance themselves from \u201crioters and terrorists\u201d during a state TV interview.<\/p>\n

Pezeshkian also said his government was determined to resolve the Iranian people\u2019s economic problems, and that the establishment was \u201cready to listen to its people\u201d. As president, Pezeshkian holds some power within the government but can be overruled by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a hardliner who has ordered a crackdown.<\/p>\n

Almost 200 killed, human rights group says \"Protests<\/p>\n

Protests in Iran on Saturday<\/p>\n

SHUTTERSTOCK EDITORIAL<\/p>\n

At least 192 protesters have been killed in Iran since the start of the anti-regime demonstrations, according to the non-profit group Iran Human Rights.<\/p>\n

The true death toll may be much higher. \u201cUnverified reports indicate that at least several hundreds \u2014 and according to some sources, more than 2,000 \u2014 people may have been killed,\u201d the group said. \u201cDue to the total internet blackout and severe restrictions on access to information, independent verification remains a serious challenge under the current circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n

Horror of Iran\u2019s overwhelmed hospitals\"Burning<\/p>\n

Burning cars in Kaj Square in Tehran as unrest spread<\/p>\n

SINAI IMAGES\/SHUTTERSTOCK EDITORIAL<\/p>\n

These days, \u201cCode 99\u201d rings out again and again over the loudspeakers in Iranian hospitals \u2014 the emergency alert reserved for patients brought in with gunshot wounds from protests that have swept the country.<\/p>\n

In a hospital in Mashhad, northeast Iran, on Friday night, a doctor tried to resuscitate a 22-year-old woman who had been shot by security forces.<\/p>\n

\u2022 The chaos and horror inside Iran\u2019s overwhelmed hospitals<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI performed CPR on her three times, but she died,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re shooting with live ammunition.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Bloodbath\u2019 as security forces shoot at anyone in a mask<\/p>\n

\u200bProtests have spread to almost all of Iran\u2019s towns and cities and a \u201cbloodbath\u201d was reported in the northern city of Rasht. <\/p>\n

The forces are \u201cusing live ammunition and killing protesters at nighttime \u2026 shooting at anyone wearing a mask\u201d, a 24-year-old student told The Times. \u201cWe have heard of several acquaintances being killed, and we are searching for their bodies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Witnesses who spoke on condition of anonymity said the sound of gunfire filled the air and hospitals were overwhelmed. In a sign that the protests are strengthening, key locations emblematic of the regime were set on fire, including a mosque, a town hall and bases belonging to the basij, a volunteer paramilitary force. <\/p>\n

\u201cOn Saturday night, people in Mashhad [an eastern city] were shot at with a military rifle, and a young girl was killed right in front of my eyes,\u201d said the student, who circumvented the internet blackout with a private Starlink hub. \u201cThe regime is weakening every passing day,\u201d he said, adding that the demonstrations would not stop.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Read more: <\/b>Secrets, lies and Starlink \u2014 how Iran protesters are defying regime<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Student, 23, \u2018shot in head from behind\u2019<\/p>\n

A 23-year-old college student, Rubina Aminian, was shot dead on Thursday after leaving her campus and joining a protest in Tehran, according to the non-profit Iran Human Rights. Sources close to her family told the centre she was shot in the head from behind at close range.<\/p>\n

\"Rubina<\/p>\n

While rights organisations have named dozens of protesters killed, it has been impossible to independently verify the identity or number of fatalities because of an information blackout. <\/p>\n

\u201cMost of the dead were young people between the ages of 18 and 22 who were shot in the head by government agents at close range,\u201d according to a statement given to the centre, which added that Aminian\u2019s family were forced to bury her body far from their home after security forces surrounded their house.<\/p>\n

Aminian, who studied design and fashion at the Shariati University in Tehran, was described as \u201cfull of enthusiasm for life\u201d.<\/p>\n

How the Ayatollah has reacted\"Iranian<\/p>\n

Khamenei on Friday<\/p>\n

GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has accused protesters of acting on behalf of the United States, calling them \u201cvandals\u201d and insisting he would not \u201cback down\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cLast night in Tehran, a bunch of vandals came and destroyed a building that belongs to them to please the US president,\u201d the supreme leader said in a speech broadcast by state media on Friday. \u201cThey want to make him happy. If he knew how to run a country, he would run his own.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump claimed on Thursday that Khamenei was preparing to flee the country, a week after The Times revealed details of a back-up plan<\/a> in which he would escape to Moscow with an inner circle of about 20 aides and family. <\/p>\n

\u2022 Read more: <\/b>Will the Ayatollah step down? Most potent protests yet put him on brink<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Iranian-born actress calls for aid\"Nazanin<\/p>\n

Nazanin Boniadi has appeared in Homeland and Ben-Hur<\/p>\n

SHUTTERSTOCK EDITORIAL<\/p>\n

The Iranian-born British actress Nazanin Boniadi has called for international support for the protesters facing violent repression.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are now three days into an internet blackout,\u201d Boniadi, 45, told Sky News. \u201cThe very limited information that I have received has been because of the existence of Starlink terminals and the activation of Starlink recently, and and it\u2019s not good news. Iranians are no strangers to protests and uprisings. They\u2019re risking their lives and as we\u2019re seeing, people are being slaughtered.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow we need international support. The last thing we need is for people to be emboldened to go into the streets because they think they\u2019re going to get that support and then that support doesn\u2019t come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mark Urban: protest-led regime change rarely succeeds\"Iranians<\/p>\n

Protesters block a street in Tehran on Friday<\/p>\n

MAHSA\/MIDDLE EAST IMAGES \/AFP<\/p>\n

On Saturday, Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran\u2019s last shah, told protesters their aim should be to \u201cbring the Islamic Republic and its worn-out and fragile repression apparatus to its knees\u201d. He urged a general strike, saying: \u201cThe goal is to prepare for seizing the centres of cities and holding them.\u201d<\/p>\n

After two weeks of protests, opponents of the Iranian regime believe power may be within their grasp. But it is not clear whether the country is building towards a revolution or a renewed and harsher form of repression.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Read in full: <\/b>A free future for Iran looks unlikely<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Protest at No 10 after \u2018Iranian Spider-Man\u2019 stunt\"A<\/p>\n

A protester waved the pre-revolution flag of Iran from the embassy in Kensington<\/p>\n

The Association of Anglo-Iranian Women in the UK is due to hold a rally outside 10 Downing Street this morning in solidarity with the protesters in Iran.<\/p>\n

It follows a demonstration outside the Iranian embassy in London on Saturday, when an activist removed the Iranian national flag from a balcony and temporarily replaced it with the pre-revolution flag bearing the lion and sun emblem used by opposition groups in the country. The acrobatic protester was dubbed the \u201cIranian Spider-Man\u201d on social media.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Read in full: <\/b>Demonstrator tears down regime flag at London embassy<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Why is Iran protesting now?\"Demonstrators<\/p>\n

Demonstrators in 1979, when the Shah was overthrown<\/p>\n

KEYSTONE\/GETTY IMAGES<\/p>\n

The mass protests in Iran are the largest in the country for more than 15 years and threaten to topple the Islamic regime led by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.<\/p>\n

Demonstrations began in the bazaars of Tehran on December 28, fuelled by anger over economic hardship. They have swollen into unrest involving hundreds of thousands of people across the country\u2019s 31 provinces.<\/p>\n

The protesters have cause for pessimism: each popular movement since the Shah was overthrown in the 1970s has brought talk of regime change \u2014 then a brutal response.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Read in full: <\/b>A timeline of unrest since the 1979 Islamic Revolution<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Jason Cowley: Trump has emboldened Iranians <\/p>\n

How serious is Trump about striking Iran? The regime would be foolish to disregard his threats. They have emboldened the protesters \u2014 a reversal of Iranians\u2019 longstanding loathing of foreign intervention.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaduro is the newest person to find out that President Trump means what he says,\u201d Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, said in reference to the capture last weekend of the Venezuelan president<\/a>. In January last year, while discussing Iran in a Senate confirmation hearing, Rubio said: \u201cI don\u2019t know of any nation on earth in which there is a bigger difference between the people and those who govern them.\u201d That comment resonated among Iranians.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Read in full: <\/b>The Ayatollah\u2019s strategy has spun out of control since October 7<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Blackout cuts Iranians off from rest of world<\/p>\n

An internet blackout has limited Iranians\u2019 communication with the outside world for more than 60 hours now, the online monitor Netblocks said on Sunday. Images from Saturday appeared to show that street lighting was switched off in some areas where protesters gathered.<\/p>\n

The blackout has caused the shutdown of companies, banking, airlines and pharmacies, and led to a cash shortage as ATMs and debit cards are affected. <\/p>\n

The last time Iran imposed an internet blackout was during protests in 2019, when it covered up what Amnesty International said was violent suppression in which 321 people were killed.<\/p>\n

Watch: son of deposed shah commends \u2018revolution\u2019<\/p>\n

Reza Pahlavi commends protesters\u2019 \u201ccourage\u201d<\/p>\n

The exiled son of the shah has said Trump is \u201cready\u201d to help protesters. Reza Pahlavi said Trump had \u201cobserved\u201d their \u201cindescribable courage\u201d and wanted to assist them.<\/p>\n

Pahlavi, who was training as a fighter pilot in the US in 1979 when the revolution swept away his father\u2019s monarchy, told protesters not to \u201cabandon the streets\u201d and that he would \u201csoon be by [their] side\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy heart is with you,\u201d he said in Farsi. Many protesters have called for the return of rule by a shah. After Israeli strikes last year that killed several senior senior generals, Pahlavi, who lives in Washington, declared he was prepared to help lead a transitional government. \u201cThis is not about restoring the past,\u201d he has said. \u201cIt\u2019s about securing a democratic future for all Iranians.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2022 Read more: <\/b>Who is Reza Pahlavi? The crown prince urging Iranians to protest<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

What is the UK\u2019s position? <\/p>\n

Britain wants to see a \u201cpeaceful transition\u201d of power in Iran, a cabinet minister said this morning.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe British government has always viewed Iran as a hostile state,\u201d Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, told Sky News. \u201cWe know that they pose a security threat in the Middle East and beyond and we know that they have been a repressive regime in terms of their own population. And so I think the priority, as of today, is to try and stem the violence that is happening in Iran at the moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a concerning situation there and we would like to see anything that happens in future involving a peaceful transition where people can enjoy fundamental freedoms and we see proper democratic values back in the heart of Iran.\u201d<\/p>\n

Iran will retaliate with \u2018death to America\u2019 if attacked<\/p>\n

Uproar in the Iranian parliament<\/p>\n

Iran has vowed to retaliate against both Israel and the US if it is attacked.<\/p>\n

Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the speaker of parliament, said on Sunday morning: \u201cIn the event of a military attack by the United States, both the occupied territory and centres of the US military and shipping will be our legitimate targets.\u201d MPs are said to have responded by chanting \u201cDeath to America\u201d.<\/p>\n

Trump threatens to intervene<\/p>\n

President Trump has threatened to attack Iran if it kills protesters and it was reported on Saturday night that the US and Israel had discussed possible intervention.<\/p>\n

In a post on his Truth Social platform on Friday, Trump said: \u201cIran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump was briefed with a series of different options for strikes against Iran, including on non-military sites in the capital, Tehran, according to The New York Times. Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, spoke to Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, on Saturday and discussed the possibility of US intervention, a US official told Reuters.<\/p>\n

Biggest protests for years \"Crowds<\/p>\n

Crowds gathered in Punak Square in Tehran despite the crackdown<\/p>\n

SHUTTERSTOCK EDITORIAL<\/p>\n

The demonstrations over the past fortnight have been the biggest in Iran for years and have left at least 116 people dead.<\/p>\n

They began in the bazaars of Tehran over the economy before expanding across the country. Some protesters are calling for the restoration of the monarchy, which was overthrown in the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the last shah, has encouraged the protests.<\/p>\n

According to activists and civil rights groups, Iran has tried to suppress the uprising with live fire, tear gas and mass detentions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Kemi Badenoch said she would support UK military action against Iran as part of a coalition of countries…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":688975,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5311],"tags":[65720,38778,5176,27616,208119,774,837,35500,2998,2579,7101,49,978,659],"class_list":{"0":"post-688974","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-united-states","8":"tag-65720","9":"tag-almost","10":"tag-and","11":"tag-as","12":"tag-discuss","13":"tag-iran","14":"tag-israel","15":"tag-killed","16":"tag-latest","17":"tag-protests","18":"tag-strikes","19":"tag-united-states","20":"tag-us","21":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115876706057352580","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/688974","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=688974"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/688974\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/688975"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=688974"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=688974"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=688974"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}