Sen. Ted Cruz called for the U.S. to arm Iranian protesters Tuesday as unrest continues inside the nation and Iran-backed militias issued threats against Washington.

"We should be arming the protesters in Iran. NOW," Cruz wrote in a post on X.

"For the Iranian people to overthrow the Ayatollah — a tyrant who routinely chants ‘death to America’ — would make America much, much safer," the Texas Republican added.

Cruz was responding to another post from Tehran Bureau, which cited a source inside Iran detailing what was described as a rapidly deteriorating situation on the ground as security forces continued to crack down on demonstrations.

IRAN WILL RETALIATE 'WITH EVERYTHING WE HAVE' IF US ATTACKS, SENIOR DIPLOMAT WARNS

"From trusted source in Tehran: Tell all of your friends [abroad] — everyone you know: there is absolutely nothing else we can do here inside Iran," the post read.

"They are killing people in such ways, they’ve descended upon people so brutally, they’re attacking us in such ways... We’ve lost so many lives that no one dares go out anymore. They shoot directly with bullets. They kill outright. And even after killing, they come and behead you, and do countless other violent things to you," it continued.

"Going out into the streets is literally suicide. It’s not about bravery anymore. It’s madness. You go out and they shoot you point-blank. They don’t even ask why you came. They just kill you," the post continued. "There is absolutely no way for us to gather unless we had weapons, unless we were armed like them. Otherwise they have weapons everywhere."

According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, activist groups estimate that more than 6,000 people have been killed in Iran, with additional cases still under review.

The protests began in late December amid widespread anger over economic hardship, political repression and corruption, according to reports.

IRAN REGIME REPORTEDLY ISSUED NATIONWIDE SHOOT-TO-KILL ORDERS AS PROTEST DEATH TOLL SURGES

Cruz’s post came after armed militias aligned with Iran warned the U.S. they would retaliate against any American attack on the Islamic Republic, as the Trump administration moved forces into the region.

Kataib Hezbollah in Iraq said it was prepared for "total war" if the U.S. attacked Iran, according to The Associated Press.

Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi, the group’s leader, said the "enemies" of the Islamic Republic would face "the bitterest forms of death."

IRAN’S SUPREME LEADER ACKNOWLEDGES THOUSANDS KILLED AS TRUMP CALLS FOR NEW LEADERSHIP: REPORTS

"You will taste every form of deadly suffering, nothing of you will remain in our region, and we will strike terror in your hearts," the statement read.

Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthis also threatened to restart attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, releasing a video Monday showing a ship engulfed in flames, captioned: "Soon," The Associated Press reported.

As previously reported by Fox News Digital, President Donald Trump said Iran appeared to be seeking negotiations with the U.S. amid the growing military buildup, telling Axios, "They want to make a deal. I know so. They called on numerous occasions. They want to talk."

The USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in the Middle East on Monday as unrest inside Iran continued to escalate.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Sen. Ted Cruz for comment.

More and more brutal evidence of the Iranian regime’s crackdown on its own people is circulating online, as the true number of those killed in Iran’s protests remains hotly contested amid internet blackouts and state intimidation. Estimates range from the thousands confirmed dead to the tens of thousands feared killed, according to activists, media reports and medical data.

Fatemeh Jamalpour, an Iranian journalist who has covered every major protest movement over the past two decades, said the latest crackdown represents a turning point in the regime’s use of force. "The regime’s level of violence has increased dramatically, and with the internet crackdown, it is difficult to know the true scale of the killing."

"The new thing I have seen in these protests, something we have not seen before, is that starting on the night of January 8, the regime issued shoot-to-kill orders to the IRGC, the Basij and the riot police, authorizing direct fire," Jamalpour told Fox News Digital.

INSIDE TRUMP’S IRAN WARNING — AND THE UNEXPECTED PAUSE THAT FOLLOWED

"In previous protests, military-grade weapons were used mainly in minority provinces such as Kurdistan and Baluchestan," she added. "This time they were used across the entire country… Health Ministry officials told us they ran out-of-body bags for the dead."

The most widely cited baseline comes from the Human Rights Activists News Agency, or HRANA, a U.S.-based group that tracks deaths by name and location.

As of January 25, HRANA reported 5,848 people confirmed killed. Of these, 5,520 were protesters, 77 were children under 18, 209 were government-affiliated forces and 42 were non-protesters or civilians. The number of deaths still under investigation stands at 17,091.

The group has emphasized that its confirmed tally reflects only cases that could be independently documented, and that its overall figures are expected to rise as information continues to emerge.

According to The Associated Press, Iranian authorities have offered only one official count, 3,117, and have not updated it publicly in the last five days. Authorities have not released names, locations, or documentation to support that figure.

Beyond human rights tallies, a separate medical working paper reviewed by Fox News Digital suggests the death toll may be far higher.

US AMBASSADOR WARNS IRAN AT EMERGENCY UN MEETING THAT TRUMP IS 'MAN OF ACTION,' 'ALL OPTIONS ARE ON THE TABLE'

The report by Munich Med Group, authored by professor Dr. Amir-Mobarez Parasta, compiles hospital-registered fatalities from multiple Iranian cities and applies what the author describes as a conservative extrapolation model to account for underreporting during the communications blackout.

Using that methodology, the paper estimates a nationwide death toll of approximately 33,130 people as of January 23. The author stresses the figure is not a verified count, but a lower-bound estimate based on partial medical data and stated assumptions.

Iran International published its own investigation, claiming it reviewed documents indicating that more than 36,500 people were killed during two days of protests on January 8 and 9 alone. The outlet said the documents were provided by sources inside Iran, but the claims have not been independently verified.

KHAMENEI CALLS TRUMP A ‘CRIMINAL,’ BLAMES HIM FOR DEADLY PROTESTS SWEEPING IRAN

The wide gap between confirmed counts and higher estimates reflects not only the scale of violence, but also the conditions under which it occurred.

According to Jamalpour, despite the internet shutdown, doctors and medical workers attempted to document what they were seeing using limited satellite connections.

"Many doctors and medical staff tried to send us their accounts and documentation through small Starlink connections," she said. "Medical workers say protesters were often shot in the head and neck, with intent to kill. Many were killed by multiple bullets. Some were shot from behind while trying to flee."

Jamalpour said the victims she documented reflected a generation the regime appeared determined to crush. "Among the dead are children and a 67-year-old man, but most are young people under 30," she said. 

TRUMP THREATENS IRAN WITH CRUSHING RESPONSE AS TEHRAN DENIES HALTING PROTEST EXECUTIONS

Jamalpour described the killing of Mehdi Khanmohammadi, a 67-year-old retired army colonel and pilot. "He was killed on Friday, January 9, in Saadat Abad by two bullets," she said. "In a video, his daughter stands over his lifeless body and says, ‘Can you open your eyes and wake up?’"

She said scenes like that have left the country in collective mourning. "These days, Iranians are in shock," Jamalpour said. "There is grief everywhere."

At the same time, she warned that the crackdown is far from over. "Lawyers and human rights organizations are deeply concerned about more than 20,000 protesters who have been detained and are at risk of execution," she said.

Yet even amid the fear, Jamalpour said she hears something new inside Iran. "In my conversations from inside the country, I hear people’s hope for Trump’s help in freeing Iran," she said. "And a determination to change the regime, now intertwined with anger and grief."

Reports have emerged from eyewitnesses in Iran alleging sexual assaults on teenagers held in custody, as well as authorities forcing families of those protesters killed to pay as much as 10 billion rials to recover their bodies.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI-US) told Fox News Digital Wednesday that the "barbarity continues" across the nation, with prison detainees allegedly being killed and their bodies burned.

The reports come as Iran’s government claimed it had successfully crushed weeks of unrest that swept the country.

Beginning Dec. 28, the protests erupted amid deep public anger over political repression, economic hardship and state violence before rapidly expanding nationwide.

LINDSEY GRAHAM SPEAKS AGAINST PENDING EXECUTION OF 26-YEAR-OLD IRANIAN PROTESTER: 'THIS REGIME MUST FALL'

"The sedition is over now," Iran’s Prosecutor General Mohammad Movahedi said, according to the judiciary’s Mizan News Agency.

"And we must be grateful, as always, to the people who extinguished this sedition by being in the field in a timely manner," he added, according to The New York Times.

The regime's claims emerged on day 25 of the protests with the number of confirmed fatalities reaching 4,902, and the number of deaths still under review standing at 9,387.  

The total number of arrests has risen to 26,541, the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said.

IRAN STATE TV HACKED TO SHOW EXILED CROWN PRINCE PAHLAVI

The France-based Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN) also said it received information indicating that some families were forced to pay sums of up to 10 billion rials to recover the bodies of their relatives.

In many cases, funeral ceremonies were held under heavy security control in the hometowns of those killed. 

Some families were reportedly subjected to threats and pressure to falsely attribute responsibility for the killings to protesters.

KHRN further said that two protesters, including a 16-year-old, said they were sexually assaulted by Iranian security forces who detained them in Kermanshah, according to reports.

G7 THREATENS IRAN WITH NEW SANCTIONS OVER NATIONWIDE PROTEST CRACKDOWN KILLING THOUSANDS

Meanwhile, NCRI’s Ali Safavi said eyewitnesses reported that "several young women and men were forced to undress, so the military could see whether they had pellet wounds."

"There has been barbarity with people who were detained. When they were killed, their bodies were burned," he added.

Safavi also said clashes continued in multiple cities Tuesday night, including "Kermanshah where protesters and armed units of the IRGC fought in parts of the city."

"There was the same in Rasht and Mashhad where the people and the regime will not return to the status quo even if the uprisings have slowed down. This is because of the blood of thousands of martyrs on their hands."

"The regime is still in power, and it won’t abandon brutal and bloody suppression so there is no pathway to a velvet revolution in Iran."

"The shoes and sneakers seen left along the sidewalks remind us of the 30,000 MEK members and Iranian prisoners who were hanged during the 1988 massacre based on a fatwa by Khomeini," Safavi added.

Gunfire echoed through Tehran Tuesday as heavily armed militias were deployed across the Iranian capital, transforming some districts into fortified zones under intense security.

Video footage showed bursts of automatic weapons after dark as government buildings, state media sites and major intersections were reportedly placed under guard, with armored pickups and masked fighters patrolling the streets in Toyotas.

The trucks were mounted with heavy machine guns and were moving in convoys with weapons firing into the darkness as armed men shouted commands.

In the video, large-caliber guns can be heard rattling as vehicles maneuver through urban streets.

ARMED KURDISH FIGHTERS TRY TO BREACH IRAN BORDER AS REGIONAL THREAT GROWS AMID PROTESTS: REPORTS

"There has been a deployment of dozens of Toyotas mounted with heavy machine guns (DShK) and other heavy weapons in Tehran," Ali Safavi, a senior official with the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), told Fox News Digital.

"They are reportedly being used by elements linked to Lebanese Hezbollah and Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF)," he said.

"Their commander speaks in Farsi, and these fighters are Iraqi Hashd al-Sha’bi, Popular Mobilization Force and Hezbollah fighters who have joined the IRGC. The IRGC are their commanders, and you can hear them shouting in Farsi."

According to Safavi, the Iranian regime has increasingly relied on foreign proxy forces to maintain control of the capital.

"The regime has brought in at least 5,000 foreign elements now from Iraq and Hezbollah to control Tehran," he explained.

US AMBASSADOR WARNS IRAN AT EMERGENCY UN MEETING THAT TRUMP IS 'MAN OF ACTION,' 'ALL OPTIONS ARE ON THE TABLE'

"They are guarding the government buildings and the state radio and TV and are using heavy machine guns, which are Russian-made and 50 caliber."

Safavi added that "at night, there are fierce clashes that are ongoing as well as running street battles between the protesters and the special unit forces."

The footage emerged as the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported what it described as Day 24 of nationwide protests marked by a continued communications blackout.

"The number of confirmed deaths has reached 4,519, while the number of deaths still under investigation stands at 9,049," the agency said, adding that at least 5,811 people have been seriously injured and 26,314 arrested.

HRANA reports also described an overwhelming security presence, particularly with law enforcement, the IRGC, Basij units and plainclothes agents after nightfall, creating what the group called an atmosphere of deterrence and fear.

The first protests began Dec. 28 and rapidly spread nationwide, driven by economic grievances and opposition to clerical rule.

IRAN ACCUSED OF KILLING 16,500 IN SWEEPING ‘GENOCIDE’ CRACKDOWN: REPORT

Demonstrations have persisted despite mass arrests, lethal force and internet shutdowns.

"Sometimes the protesters hold their ground to the gunfire, ammunition and volleys of tear gas," Safavi said.

He alleged that IRGC units attacked a hospital in Gorgan, killing wounded patients, stationing snipers on rooftops and firing into surrounding areas.

"They then took around 76 bodies to a warehouse and are refusing to hand them over to families because the forces want to bury them in secret," he claimed.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has repeatedly blamed foreign enemies for unrest while backing the IRGC’s response.

President Trump on Tuesday warned Iran that continued assassination threats from leaders in Tehran would trigger overwhelming retaliation.

"Anything ever happens, we’re going to blow the whole — the whole country’s going to get blown up," Trump told NewsNation.

NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi rejected the notion that external military action could topple the regime.

"A foreign war cannot bring down this regime," she said in a statement. "What is required is an organized nationwide resistance rooted in active, combat-ready forces inside Iran’s cities to defeat one of the most brutal and repressive apparatuses in the world today — the IRGC."

Iran’s internet blackout has hardened into a permanent system of digital repression, with the regime treating citizens’ access to the outside world as an "existential threat," according to digital rights monitors.

Internet monitoring group NetBlocks reported Monday that Iran’s connectivity landscape had shifted dramatically as the country entered its 22nd day of unrest, following several days of almost total nationwide internet shutdown.

"On the twenty-second day, after several days of an almost complete internet shutdown, reports emerged of limited and unstable internet connectivity in some parts of the country," NetBlocks reported.

"Indications are that we’re seeing a move toward a kind of ‘filternet plus’ censorship scheme in Iran," NetBlocks CEO Alp Toker told Fox News Digital before pointing to "a rapid decline into a darker kind of digital darkness."

KHAMENEI CALLS TRUMP A ‘CRIMINAL,’ BLAMES HIM FOR DEADLY PROTESTS SWEEPING IRAN

"The key difference from the pre-protest filternet arrangement is that, while internet platforms were extensively censored before, the regime is selectively whitelisting only a handful of services it deems critical for business needs.

"Even this selective access is sporadic, which means the censorship is likely still in the test phase," he added. "In practice though, ordinary users remain offline."

Toker described how the digital darkness "is in fact getting darker because the information controls are getting tighter."

"Where international links were tolerated as a window to trade, the regime is approaching each of these as potential threats," he said before adding that the regime "sees its own citizens’ ability to communicate with the rest of the world as an existential threat because the people are disaffected."

According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) at least 2,571 people were killed as of Monday, with additional deaths reported but not yet fully verified amid the communications blackout.

The internet blackout began Jan. 8 amid escalating demonstrations since Dec. 28, as authorities sought to prevent protesters from organizing, sharing videos of crackdowns and communicating with the outside world.

Since then, connectivity has remained inconsistent, with frequent outages and throttling even when partial access is restored.

IRAN ACCUSED OF KILLING 16,500 IN SWEEPING ‘GENOCIDE’ CRACKDOWN: REPORT

Iran International reported the blackout was expected to last until at least late March, with IranWire saying government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani told media activists that access to international online services would not be restored before Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, on March 20.

"Having internet access was always a window to the outside and a lifeline for many Iranians," Toker added. "It allowed for personal expression and culture that is banned by the regime."

"These online freedoms can be as simple as online gaming, watching foreign movies or women’s ability to participate equally in spaces that would otherwise be barred by the Islamic Republic," he added.

"With the internet blackout continuing, the curtain has been drawn on that window," Toker said. "This is angering many Iranians, particularly Gen Z, who stand to lose a part of their identity."

The blackout has also coincided with cyber incidents targeting Iran’s state infrastructure.

IRAN PUSHES FOR FAST TRIALS AND EXECUTIONS OF SUSPECTS DETAINED IN PROTESTS DESPITE TRUMP'S WARNING: REPORT

As previously reported by Fox News Digital, anti-regime activists hacked Iran’s national broadcaster, briefly interrupting state television to air protest messages and calls from Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah and a prominent opposition figure.

"We aren’t able to see the specific hack here," Toker explained. "The lack of up-to-date security is an issue for Iran."

"It is caused directly by the country’s digital isolation," he said. "Iran’s internet systems are outdated, and security tools aren’t available due to internet restrictions."

Toker added that embargoes force widespread use of pirated software, which often contains hidden vulnerabilities that can be exploited to breach critical networks.

He said cyber warfare played a major role during the June 2025 clashes between Israel and Iran, prompting the blackout as a defensive measure against digital attacks. Israel, he noted, also restricted parts of its own network at the time.

"In 2026, we haven’t seen the same focus on cyber incidents, but it’s clear there’s an ongoing battle between state actors as well as individual hackers," Toker said.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) on Monday withdrew an invitation for Iran’s foreign minister to attend the Davos summit in Switzerland after an advocacy group urged it to bar Iranian regime officials amid nationwide anti-government protests that have left thousands dead.

In a post on X, the WEF confirmed that Abbas Araghchi would not be permitted to attend the five-day event.

"Although he was invited last fall, the tragic loss of lives of civilians in Iran over the past few weeks means that it is not right for the Iranian government to be represented at Davos this year," the organization said. 

The announcement comes after the advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) sent a letter to WEF President Børge Brende on Friday, urging him to rescind the invitation and bar Iranian regime officials from attending amid a brutal crackdown on civilians.

LINDSEY GRAHAM SPEAKS AGAINST PENDING EXECUTION OF 26-YEAR-OLD IRANIAN PROTESTER: 'THIS REGIME MUST FALL'

UANI CEO Ambassador Mark Wallace welcomed the decision, telling Fox News Digital in a statement after Araghchi’s invitation was withdrawn: "UANI commends the World Economic Forum for revoking the invitation of Iran’s Foreign Minister from this year’s gathering in Davos. Iranian regime representatives should not be platformed at international events given their crimes against the Iranian people and their long history of supporting terrorism."

Iran is currently facing nationwide anti-government protests that have drawn a violent response from security forces and placed growing pressure on Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), which tracks human rights violations in Iran, said on Sunday that nationwide protests continued into the 22nd day as President Donald Trump weighs possible U.S. military action.

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The group's aggregated figures showed 624 recorded protests, the arrest of at least 24,669 people and the confirmed deaths of 3,919 individuals.

HRANA said 3,685 of those killed were protesters, including 25 children under the age of 18.

Nearly 9,000 deaths remain under investigation.

White House press secretary Karoline Levitt said at a press briefing last week that the Trump administration was closely watching the situation in Iran.

IRAN ACCUSED OF KILLING 16,500 IN SWEEPING ‘GENOCIDE' CRACKDOWN: REPORT

"All options remain on the table for the president," she told reporters.

Multiple Iranian state TV channels were hacked on Sunday amid a near-total internet shutdown to air footage of exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi and images of anti-government protests that have rocked Tehran in recent weeks.

Two clips of Pahlavi were shown as well as a graphic calling on Iranian security forces to side with the public, The Associated Press reported.

"Don't point your weapons at the people. Join the nation for the freedom of Iran," one graphic read, according to a translation from the outlet.

Pahlavi himself called on Iran’s military to break with the Islamic Republic and side with the people.

TRUMP’S LEADERSHIP CREATES 'RARE OPPORTUNITY' FOR CHANGE IN IRAN, FORMER IRANIAN POLITICAL PRISONER SAYS

"I have a special message for the military. You are the national army of Iran, not the Islamic Republic army," he said in the hacked broadcast. "You have a duty to protect your own lives. You don’t have much time left. Join the people as soon as possible."

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), which tracks human rights violations in Iran, said on Sunday that nationwide protests continued into the 22nd day as President Donald Trump weighs possible U.S. military action.

The group’s aggregated figures showed 624 recorded protests, the arrest of at least 24,669 people and the confirmed deaths of 3,919 individuals.

KHAMENEI CALLS TRUMP A ‘CRIMINAL,’ BLAMES HIM FOR DEADLY PROTESTS SWEEPING IRAN

HRANA said 3,685 of those killed were protesters, including 25 children under the age of 18.

Nearly 9,000 deaths remain under investigation.

Iran International reported that witnesses across multiple cities told them security forces stormed hospitals, removed injured protesters, and interfered with medical care, while reports from other areas described overwhelmed morgues and a strong security presence around medical facilities.

The outlet also reported that witnesses described injured protesters being left without medical care after shootings, as ambulances failed to arrive and phone networks were unavailable.

Others said hospitals were inaccessible or refused treatment, resulting in some wounded protesters bleeding to death while taking shelter in nearby buildings.

Iranian protesters are facing their deadliest days yet as security forces unleash mass killings and executions in a sweeping crackdown some have labeled "genocide," new reports say.

According to The Sunday Times, a report compiled by doctors entrenched in the region and reviewed by the outlet, estimates that security forces have killed at least 16,500 protesters and injured more than 330,000 others.

The report also described the violence as an "utter slaughter," warning that the true toll may be even higher due to restricted access to hospitals and the near-total shutdown of communications.

POMPEO SAYS IRANIAN REGIME HAS ARRIVED AT 'NATURAL TERMINUS': 'LET'S NOT WASTE THIS HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY'

Most of the victims, the report says, are believed to be under the age of 30, underscoring the heavy toll on Iran’s younger generation as the regime intensifies its efforts to crush dissent.

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei acknowledged Sunday that "several thousands" have been killed since protests erupted Dec. 28.

In a televised address, he blamed demonstrators, calling them "foot-soldiers of the U.S." and falsely claiming protesters were armed with imported live ammunition.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that as of day 22 of the protests, verified figures show 3,919 people killed, with 8,949 additional deaths under investigation, 2,109 severely injured, and 24,669 detainees.

HRANA noted that the true toll is likely far higher due to the internet shutdown.

Professor Amir Parasta, an Iranian-German eye surgeon and medical director of Munich MED, said in The Sunday Times report that doctors across Iran are "shocked and crying," despite having experience treating war injuries.

G7 THREATENS IRAN WITH NEW SANCTIONS OVER NATIONWIDE PROTEST CRACKDOWN KILLING THOUSANDS

"This is a whole new level of brutality," Parasta said. He added that Starlink terminals smuggled into Iran have been the only means of communication since authorities cut internet access on Jan. 8.

Eyewitnesses who fled Iran also described snipers targeting protesters’ heads, mass shootings and systematic blinding using pellet guns.

One former Iranian resident said in the report that doctors reported more than 800 eye removals in a single night in the capital alone, with possibly more than 8,000 people blinded nationwide.

"This is genocide under the cover of digital darkness," Parasta said.

Alongside the street killings, executions have surged dramatically, according to Ali Safavi, a senior official with the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).

Safavi told Fox News Digital that 2,200 people were executed in 2025, while 153 have already been hanged in the first 18 days of January 2026, averaging more than eight executions per day.

IRAN REGIME OPENED FIRE WITH LIVE AMMUNITION ON PROTESTERS, DOCTOR SAYS: ‘SHOOT-TO-KILL’

"Ali Khamenei is continuing mass executions in parallel with the killing of young protesters," Safavi said. "Three executions in the form of hanging are now happening every hour according to our data."

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi previously disputed high death tolls reported in an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, claiming fatalities were only in the hundreds and dismissing higher figures as "misinformation."

President Donald Trump sharply condemned Khamenei over the weekend, calling him a "sick man" and urging new leadership in Iran.

In an interview with Politico, Trump accused Khamenei of overseeing "the complete destruction of the country" and using "violence at levels never seen before," adding that Iran’s leadership should "stop killing people."

One of Iran’s most senior officials issued a direct threat against President Donald Trump Thursday while warning that U.S. military action would provoke retaliation against American forces across the Middle East, according to Iranian media reports.

The remarks came as well-placed sources confirmed to Fox News Digital at least one American aircraft carrier was being repositioned toward the Middle East amid rising tensions with Tehran.

Senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) General Mohsen Rezaei, a member of Iran’s Expediency Discernment Council, reportedly made his threat during a public address.

"Trump has said his hand is on the trigger. We will cut off his hand and his finger," Rezaei said, according to Iran International.

TOP IRANIAN OFFICIAL DOWNPLAYS DEATH TOLL, BLAMES 'ISRAELI PLOT' AS US CONSIDERS STRIKES

The outlet also said that Rezaei maintained that Iran would abandon any notion of a ceasefire if attacked. 

"If we move forward, there will be no talk of a ceasefire anymore," he said. "You do not pay attention to the restraint and strategic patience we have shown. Stop right now. Step back, otherwise none of your bases in the region will be safe," Rezaei added.

The threat surfaced as at least one U.S. aircraft carrier could be moving toward the Middle East, according to sources.

Officials have not disclosed whether it is USS Abraham Lincoln, currently operating in the South China Sea, or one of two carriers that departed Norfolk and San Diego earlier this week.

Military sources said transit to the region could take at least a week, with additional U.S. air, land and sea assets expected to follow to provide Trump with military options should he order strikes against Iran.

SOME US MILITARY PERSONNEL TOLD TO LEAVE MIDDLE EAST BASES, US OFFICIAL CONFIRMS

Rezaei is one of Iran’s most powerful military figures. He served as commander in chief of the IRGC from 1980 to 1997 and is currently vice president for economic affairs, secretary of Iran’s Supreme Council for Economic Coordination and a senior figure in the Principlist Resistance Front of Islamic Iran.

In 2006, Argentine authorities issued an international arrest warrant for Rezaei in connection with the 1994 AMIA Jewish community center bombing in Buenos Aires. He was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in January 2020 under Executive Order 13876 for advancing Iran’s destabilizing objectives.

During his tenure, the IRGC expanded repression at home and supported terrorist proxy groups abroad, including Hezbollah.

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Meanwhile, unrest inside Iran continued into its 19th day. According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), at least 2,677 arrests have been recorded with 1,693 additional cases under investigation.

Another agency also reported expanded communication blackouts, including the shutdown of landlines in some areas.

"They are continuing as before, but not at the pace before the slaughter of thousands and the arrests," Ali Safavi of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) told Fox News Digital, claiming as many as 50,000 detainees.

"There is still a total shutdown of the internet. Security forces are raiding residential areas and going to people’s rooftops. They started destroying satellite dishes," Safavi said before describing clashes continuing through Wednesday night into Thursday in Tehran and Kermanshah, including gunfire.

NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi also urged the international community to act immediately to secure the release of detainees and demanded an urgent international fact-finding mission to Iran’s prisons.

The Iranian regime has allegedly broadcast at least 97 "coercive confessions" from detained protesters on state television in just over two weeks, human rights groups say, as residents endure the longest internet blackout on record.

The videos reportedly feature handcuffed detainees with blurred faces showing remorse for their actions since the protests began Dec. 28, according to a rights group tracking the videos.

It said ominous music can be heard, and edited footage shows attacks on security forces, according to reporting by The Associated Press and data from the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).

Other rights groups also claim the confession videos are coerced and obtained under duress, with protesters "dragged before cameras under the threat of torture and execution."

G7 THREATENS IRAN WITH NEW SANCTIONS OVER NATIONWIDE PROTEST CRACKDOWN KILLING THOUSANDS

"The regime’s broadcast of so-called confessions by detained protesters is a threadbare and worn tactic," Ali Safavi, a senior official with the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), told Fox News Digital.

"Time and time again, the henchmen drag arrested demonstrators before cameras under the threat of torture and execution, coercing them to recant their beliefs or invent absurd stories."

The broadcasts come amid nationwide protests sparked by public anger over political repression, economic collapse and alleged abuses by security forces.

Demonstrations have spread across major cities despite mass arrests, lethal force and sweeping restrictions on communication.

IRANIAN STUDENT SHOT IN HEAD AT CLOSE RANGE AMID PROTESTS, BODY BURIED ALONG ROADSIDE

Safavi said the confessions serve a dual purpose. 

"First, they are meant to justify the mass slaughter of protesters, no fewer than 3,000, which NCRI President-elect Maryam Rajavi has stated constitute manifest crimes against humanity," he said.

"These forced confessions are designed to demoralize the Iranian people and sow fear and doubt."

But he said any mass executions or staged confessions "won’t achieve that because no amount of televised coercion or repression will break the protesters’ resolve."

ARMED IRAN PROTESTERS BATTLE POLICE IN TEHRAN STREETS AS TRUMP WARNS OF FORCEFUL US RESPONSE

U.S.-based HRANA has warned that forced confessions in Iran frequently follow psychological or physical torture and can carry severe consequences, including death sentences.

"These rights violations compound on top of each other and lead to horrific outcomes," Skylar Thompson, HRANA group’s deputy director, told The Associated Press, adding that the scale of broadcasts is unprecedented.

The confession campaign coincides with a sweeping internet shutdown that has effectively cut the public off from independent information.

According to NetBlocks, Iran’s internet blackout has surpassed 144 consecutive hours, making it one of the longest disruptions ever recorded.

"The shutdown is still ongoing, making it one of the longest blackouts on record," Isik Mater, NetBlocks’ director of research, told Fox News Digital.

"State TV continues to operate normally via satellite transmission, which does not depend on the public internet, which means households can still watch Iranian state channels even during a near-total shutdown."

IRAN PROTESTS GROW DEADLIER AS REGIME INTERNET BLACKOUT FAILS TO STOP UPRISING

Mater said the blackout magnifies the impact of state propaganda because "while the public is cut off, the state relies on broadcast media and its domestic National Information Network to control what people see," she said, likening Iran’s information strategy to that of North Korea.

"A useful comparison is North Korea where the vast majority of citizens there have little to no access to the global internet, yet the state TV and radio broadcast regime propaganda 24/7," she said.

"Information flows through closed systems, like North Korea’s domestic intranet Kwangmyong and not the open internet."

Mater added that shutdowns are highly selective, with senior officials and state institutions retaining connectivity through "whitelisted networks."

"Senior officials and state institutions retain connectivity via whitelisted government networks and private links," Mater said.

"This is why Ali Khamenei and other government officials continue posting on global social media platforms during the blackout, enabling the regime to shape the narrative internationally while citizens are unable to document events or even respond."

The Group of Seven (G7) nations warned Iran on Wednesday that they are prepared to impose additional sanctions on the country if the regime continues with its violent crackdown on protests.

In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.K. and the U.S., joined by the European Union’s high representative, expressed "grave concern" over the reports of mass casualties, widespread injuries and alleged human rights abuses as a result of the spiraling unrest.

IRANIAN DISSIDENT UNLOADS ON AMERICAN LEFT'S SILENCE ON DEADLY PROTESTS

The development comes as Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA) announced the deaths of 2,403 protesters. Other reports say the death toll is over 3,000, with the real number likely to be higher. 

"We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union, are gravely concerned by the developments surrounding the ongoing protests in Iran," the statement said.

"We strongly oppose the intensification of the Iranian authorities’ brutal repression of the Iranian people, who have been bravely voicing legitimate aspirations for a better life, dignity and freedom, since the end of December 2025," it read.

The G7 also stated it was "deeply alarmed at reports of deaths and injuries" and condemned what it described as the "deliberate use of violence and the killing of protesters, arbitrary detention, and intimidation tactics by security forces against demonstrators."

IRAN PUSHES FOR FAST TRIALS AND EXECUTIONS OF SUSPECTS DETAINED IN PROTESTS DESPITE TRUMP'S WARNING: REPORT

The protests, which began Dec. 28, came amid deepening economic distress and the collapse of the Iranian rial. They quickly spread nationwide and evolved into broader anti-government demonstrations.

The G7 ministers also urged Iranian authorities to show restraint and end the use of force against civilians, calling on Tehran to respect its international obligations and protect the rights to "freedom of expression, to seek, receive and impart information, and the freedom of association and peaceful assembly, without fear of reprisal."

While the joint statement did not list specific new sanctions, it made clear that additional action remains on the table, signaling unity among leading Western powers.

"Iran’s continued crackdown in violation of international human rights obligations could prompt further restrictive measures from the G7," the ministers said.

Iranian security forces escalated from pellet guns to live ammunition during protests, sharply increasing casualties, a doctor who treated wounded demonstrators told the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI).

Speaking after fleeing the country, the doctor told CHRI that the use of live fire increased the death toll days after protests erupted on Dec. 28.

"Law enforcement forces were firing pellet shotguns that scatter pellets. During those days, I received five or six calls per day about people who had been hit by two pellets in the back, or pellets to the head or scalp," the doctor claimed.

The doctor said he noticed the situation shifted on Jan. 8, when authorities imposed internet blackouts and cut off communication nationwide.

NETANYAHU AND RUBIO DISCUSS US MILITARY INTERVENTION IN IRAN AMID ONGOING NATIONWIDE PROTESTS: REPORT

"From about 8:10 to 8:20 pm, the sound of bullets, gunfire, screams, and sporadic explosions could be heard. I was called to the hospital. When I arrived, I saw that the nature of the injuries and the number of gunshot wounds had changed completely," the doctor said of the days around the blackout.

"The situation was totally different. Shots from close range, injuries leading to death," the doctor said.

Human rights groups say thousands have been killed as security forces moved to suppress the demonstrations, with some estimates placing the death toll above 3,000, Fox News’ chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst reported Tuesday.

The protests were fueled by anger over economic hardship, rising prices and inflation before expanding into broader anti-government demonstrations.

TRUMP SAYS IRAN 'STARTING TO' CROSS US RED LINES AS PROTESTERS DIE IN GOVERNMENT CRACKDOWN

"The calls I received on my home phone for medical advice were no longer about pellet wounds," the doctor said. "People were saying they had been shot, with bullets entering one side of the body and exiting the other. Live ammunition."

Describing scenes in Isfahan, which is a major protest hub, the doctor said streets were littered with blood as security forces deployed heavier weapons.

"A large amount of blood, about a liter, had pooled in the gutter and blood trails extended for several meters," the doctor claimed.

"The level and intensity of violence increased step by step," he said before describing a change in aggression on Jan. 9.

IRANIAN HOSPITALS OVERWHELMED WITH INJURIES AS PROTESTS RAGE ACROSS ISLAMIC REPUBLIC

"On Friday night, I heard automatic gunfire. I am familiar with weapons and can distinguish their sounds. I heard DShK heavy machine guns. I heard PK machine guns.

"These weapons are in the possession of IRGC units – DShKs, PK machine guns, and Kalashnikovs," the doctor said. "The trauma cases I saw were brutal, shoot-to-kill."

Victims ranged from teenagers to elderly men, the doctor said. Some injuries were so severe that bodies were unrecognizable.

"One colleague said that during a night shift, eight bodies were brought in with gunshot wounds to the face; their faces were unrecognizable. Many bodies are not identifiable at all," he added.

The account comes as President Donald Trump publicly voiced support for Iranian protesters. 

On Tuesday, Trump urged Iranians to "take over" their institutions, saying he had canceled all meetings with Iranian officials until the crackdown ends.

A 23-year-old student was shot in the head at close range during protests in Iran, according to Iran Human Rights, a Norway-based group, as the regime continues its violent crackdown on nationwide demonstrations.

Rubina Aminian, a student of textile and fashion design at Shariati Technical and Vocational College for Girls in Tehran, was killed Jan. 8 after leaving college and joining the protests in the capital, according to Iran Human Rights.

She is among the few victims of the recent unrest whose identity has been publicly confirmed.

"Sources close to Rubina’s family, citing eyewitnesses, told Iran Human Rights that the young Kurdish woman from Marivan was shot from close range from behind, with the bullet striking her head," the group said in a statement.

IRAN PROTESTS SPARK REGIME SURVIVAL QUESTION AS EXILED DISSIDENT SAYS IT FEELS LIKE A ‘REVOLUTION’

Following her death, Aminian’s family traveled from their home in Kermanshah, western Iran, to Tehran to identify her body.

According to sources cited by Iran Human Rights, the family was taken to a location near the college where they saw the bodies of hundreds of young people allegedly killed during the protests.

"Most of the victims were young people between 18 and 22 years old, who had been shot at close range in the head and neck by government forces," a source close to the family said.

IRAN PROTESTS GROW DEADLIER AS REGIME INTERNET BLACKOUT FAILS TO STOP UPRISING

The family was reportedly initially barred from identifying Aminian’s body and later prevented from taking her remains, the group said.

After extensive efforts, relatives were eventually allowed to retrieve her body and return to Kermanshah.

When they got there, intelligence forces reportedly surrounded the family home and would not allow a burial to take place.

According to Iran Human Rights, the family was forced to bury Aminian’s body along the roadside between Kermanshah and the nearby city of Kamyaran.

IRANIANS ABLE TO MAKE SOME INTERNATIONAL CALLS AS INTERNET REMAINS BLOCKED AMID PROTESTS

The family has also not been permitted to hold mourning ceremonies, and several mosques in Marivan were reportedly disallowed from hosting memorial services.

Iran’s spiraling anti-government protests have been driven by widespread anger over political repression and economic hardship, including rising inflation.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency estimated Tuesday that over 16,700 people have been detained.

Other rights groups have reported extremely high death tolls, with some estimates exceeding 3,000, according to Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst.

Iran Human Rights described Aminian in a statement as "a young woman full of joy for life and passionate about fashion and clothing design, whose dreams were buried by the violent repression of the Islamic Republic."