Death toll from Iran protest violence ‘reaches 116’

The death toll from violence surrounding nationwide protests challenging Iran’s leadership has reached at least 116 people, activists say.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency gave the new figure, saying arrests had reached more than 2600 people. The agency has been accurate in multiple rounds of unrest previously.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has signalled a coming clampdown, despite US warnings from President Donald Trump that America could intervene to protect peaceful demonstrators.

Tehran escalated its threats Saturday, local time, with Iran’s attorney general, Mohammad Movahedi Azad, warning that anyone taking part in protests will be considered an “enemy of God”, a death-penalty charge.

A day after US President Donald Trump issued a new warning that the United States could intervene, there were fresh reports of violence across the country, although an internet blackout made it difficult to assess the full extent of unrest.

The exiled son of Iran’s last shah, Reza Pahlavi, who has emerged as a prominent voice in the fragmented opposition, made his strongest call yet for the protests to broaden into a revolt to topple the clerical rulers.

State media said a municipal building was ⁠set on fire in Karaj, west of Tehran, and blamed “rioters”.

State TV broadcast footage of funerals of members of the security forces it said were killed in protests in the cities of Shiraz, Qom and Hamedan.