The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, made a serious statement warning that any military intervention by the United States could lead to regional conflict. At the same time, the United States is deploying an aircraft carrier to the region, while Iran is conducting naval exercises in the Strait of Hormuz, as reported by the BBC.
According to Khamenei, "if the Americans start military actions, it will escalate into a war across the entire region," the pro-government agency Tasnim reports.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened Tehran over its nuclear program and the suppression of protests. In response to journalists' questions about possible actions against Iran, he stated that he could not share specific plans but expressed hope that Iran is negotiating "seriously" with Washington and that the parties could reach an "acceptable" agreement. Trump also noted that "powerful ships" of the US are in the region.
As part of the military buildup, the US has sent the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier to the Arabian Sea, as reported by US Central Command at the end of last week.
"Trump constantly talks about his ships... But the Iranian people will not be intimidated by such threats," Khamenei noted in his Sunday speech.
This Sunday, Iran will begin two days of naval exercises with live fire in the Strait of Hormuz, which is one of the most important shipping routes for global trade and hydrocarbon supplies.
This strait, which is about 33 km wide at its narrowest point between Iran and Oman, accounts for about 20% of all global oil trade. Iran has previously threatened to close this route in the event of an attack.
The US has expressed dissatisfaction to Iran regarding "unsafe and unprofessional behavior" near American forces, to which Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded that "American military forces are trying to dictate how our armed forces should conduct exercises on their own territory."
On Saturday, two explosions occurred in Iran. One of them happened in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, killing one person and injuring 14. Local authorities reported that the explosion was caused by a gas leak, dismissing rumors that the blast was aimed at the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' naval forces.
The other explosion in the southwestern city of Ahvaz resulted in at least four deaths; authorities also linked this incident to a gas leak, according to reports from the Iranian newspaper Tehran Times.
On Thursday, Trump outlined two conditions that Iran must meet to avoid military intervention: "First, no nuclear weapons. Second, stop killing protesters."
On Sunday, the administration of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian released the names of 2,986 people who died during the protests. Official data indicates 3,117 casualties; however, the remaining 131 have not been identified or there are discrepancies in personal data. After resolving these discrepancies, authorities promised to provide an updated list.
However, human rights organizations report a significantly higher number of casualties. The American agency Human Rights Activists News Agency has confirmed the identities of more than 6,300 victims and continues to investigate another 17,000 cases of death.
The organization Iran Human Rights, based in Norway, suggests that final data may show up to 25,000 dead.
The media platform Iran International pointed to an even higher figure—36,500 dead.
In response to this data, Pezeshkian's administration noted that "unlike historical enemies and adversaries who treat human lives as mere numbers and statistics," the Iranian government values every life.
"Every Iranian for us is a whole Iran, and the president, as the protector of the people's rights, bears moral responsibility," the administration's statement emphasized.
Khamenei also accused protesters of attacking police, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and other targets, including banks and mosques. "The coup was suppressed," Tasnim agency quotes Khamenei's words.
Protest participants told the BBC that the actions of security forces were unprecedentedly brutal.
