Iranian protesters will be treated as enemies if they support Tehran's foes, the country's top police officer warned, as the West Asia war sparked fears mass anti-government rallies could reignite. We will deal with them in the same way we deal with enemies," he added. His warning comes after the government cracked down on anti-government protests in January, sparked a month before over economic grievances in the sanctions-hit country. U.S. President Donald Trump had initially cheered on the protesters, threatening to intervene on their behalf as authorities launched a deadly crackdown, but his threats soon shifted to Iran's nuclear programme. Washington launched strikes with Israel on Iran on February 28, sparking retaliatory strikes by Tehran against Israel and U.S. bases across the Gulf region.

Source: The Hindu March 11, 2026 17:27 UTC