Zaidi ya watu 500 wameuawa katika machafuko yanayoendelea Iran, kundi la haki za binadamu limesema Jumapili, huku Tehran ikionya kuwa itashambulia kambi za kijeshi za Marekani endapo Rais Donald Trump atatekeleza vitisho vyake vya kuingilia kati kwa niaba ya waandamanaji. Kundi la HRANA lenye makao yake Marekani limesema limethibitisha vifo vya waandamanaji 490 na maafisa wa usalama 48, pamoja na kukamatwa kwa zaidi ya watu 10,600 katika wiki mbili za vurugu. Serikali ya Iran haijatoa takwimu rasmi, na chombo cha habari ya kimataifa Reuters haikuweza kuthibitisha idadi hiyo kwa njia huru.
Trump amekuwa akionya mara kwa mara kuwa Marekani inaweza kuingilia kati endapo nguvu zitatumika dhidi ya waandamanaji. Afisa wa Marekani aliambia Reuters kuwa Trump anatarajiwa kukutana na washauri wake wakuu kujadili chaguo mbalimbali, ikiwemo mashambulizi ya kijeshi, vita vya mtandaoni, kuimarisha vikwazo na kusaidia wapinzani wa serikali kwa njia za mtandaoni. Trump pia alisema anawasiliana na viongozi wa upinzani wa Iran na kudai, bila kutoa maelezo, kuwa viongozi wa Iran walimpigia simu wakitaka mazungumzo.
Bunge la Iran limeonya Marekani dhidi ya “makosa ya maamuzi,” likisema kuwa endapo Iran itashambuliwa, Israel pamoja na kambi na meli zote za Marekani zitakuwa malengo halali. Maandamano yalianza Desemba 28 kufuatia kupanda kwa bei za bidhaa, kabla ya kubadilika na kuwa upinzani wa wazi dhidi ya utawala wa kidini uliopo tangu Mapinduzi ya Kiislamu ya 1979. Serikali ya Iran imezituhumu Marekani na Israel kuchochea machafuko hayo na kuitisha maandamano ya kitaifa kulaani kile ilichokiita vitendo vya kigaidi vinavyoongozwa na mataifa hayo mawili.
Rais wa Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, amesema kuwa Israel na Marekani ndizo zinazoongoza njama za kuichafua na kuifanya Iran iyumbe, akidai kuwa maadui wa nchi hiyo wameingiza “magaidi wanaochoma misikiti, kushambulia benki na kuharibu mali za umma.”
Mawasiliano kutoka Iran yameathiriwa na kuzimwa kwa intaneti tangu Alhamisi, hali iliyofanya upatikanaji wa taarifa kuwa mgumu. Video zilizothibitishwa na Reuters zinaonyesha umati mkubwa wa watu wakipiga makofi na kuimba usiku katika mitaa ya Tehran, huku Mashhad kukionekana moshi, moto mitaani na milipuko ikisikika. Televisheni ya taifa ilionyesha mifuko ya maiti na familia zikisubiri kutambua miili, ikisema waliokufa ni wahanga wa matukio yaliyosababishwa na “magaidi wenye silaha.”
Katibu Mkuu wa Umoja wa Mataifa Antonio Guterres amelaani matumizi ya nguvu na kuitaka Iran iheshimu haki za kujieleza, kujiunga na kuandamana kwa amani. Iran imetangaza siku tatu za maombolezo ya kitaifa, wakati Israel ikiweka hali ya tahadhari kwa uwezekano wa kuingilia kati kwa Marekani. Wachambuzi wanasema ingawa huenda maandamano yasiiangushe serikali, yanaweza kuiacha ikiwa dhaifu zaidi, huku Trump akisisitiza kuwa Marekani iko tayari kusaidia madai ya “uhuru” ya wananchi wa Iran.
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Unrest in Iran has killed more than 500 people, a rights group said on Sunday, as Tehran threatened to target U.S. military bases if President Donald Trump carries out his renewed threats to intervene on behalf of protesters.
With the Islamic Republic's clerical establishment facing the biggest demonstrations since 2022, Trump has repeatedly threatened to get involved if force is used on protesters.
According to its latest figures - from activists inside and outside Iran - U.S.-based rights group HRANA said it had verified the deaths of 490 protesters and 48 security personnel, with more than 10,600 people arrested in two weeks of unrest.
Iran has not given an official toll and Reuters was unable to independently verify the tallies.
Trump was to meet with senior advisers on Tuesday to discuss options for Iran, a U.S. official told Reuters on Sunday. The Wall Street Journal had reported that options included military strikes, using secret cyber weapons, widening sanctions and providing online help to anti-government sources.
"The military is looking at it, and we're looking at some very strong options," Trump told reporters travelling on Air Force One on Sunday night.
Trump said he was in contact with Iranian opposition leaders. He also said, without elaborating, that Iran's leaders had called him on Saturday and want to negotiate, and that he might talk to them.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned Washington against "a miscalculation."
"Let us be clear: in the case of an attack on Iran, the occupied territories (Israel) as well as all U.S. bases and ships will be our legitimate target," said Qalibaf, a former commander in Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards.
Source: Reuters
Trump amekuwa akionya mara kwa mara kuwa Marekani inaweza kuingilia kati endapo nguvu zitatumika dhidi ya waandamanaji. Afisa wa Marekani aliambia Reuters kuwa Trump anatarajiwa kukutana na washauri wake wakuu kujadili chaguo mbalimbali, ikiwemo mashambulizi ya kijeshi, vita vya mtandaoni, kuimarisha vikwazo na kusaidia wapinzani wa serikali kwa njia za mtandaoni. Trump pia alisema anawasiliana na viongozi wa upinzani wa Iran na kudai, bila kutoa maelezo, kuwa viongozi wa Iran walimpigia simu wakitaka mazungumzo.
Bunge la Iran limeonya Marekani dhidi ya “makosa ya maamuzi,” likisema kuwa endapo Iran itashambuliwa, Israel pamoja na kambi na meli zote za Marekani zitakuwa malengo halali. Maandamano yalianza Desemba 28 kufuatia kupanda kwa bei za bidhaa, kabla ya kubadilika na kuwa upinzani wa wazi dhidi ya utawala wa kidini uliopo tangu Mapinduzi ya Kiislamu ya 1979. Serikali ya Iran imezituhumu Marekani na Israel kuchochea machafuko hayo na kuitisha maandamano ya kitaifa kulaani kile ilichokiita vitendo vya kigaidi vinavyoongozwa na mataifa hayo mawili.
Rais wa Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, amesema kuwa Israel na Marekani ndizo zinazoongoza njama za kuichafua na kuifanya Iran iyumbe, akidai kuwa maadui wa nchi hiyo wameingiza “magaidi wanaochoma misikiti, kushambulia benki na kuharibu mali za umma.”
Mawasiliano kutoka Iran yameathiriwa na kuzimwa kwa intaneti tangu Alhamisi, hali iliyofanya upatikanaji wa taarifa kuwa mgumu. Video zilizothibitishwa na Reuters zinaonyesha umati mkubwa wa watu wakipiga makofi na kuimba usiku katika mitaa ya Tehran, huku Mashhad kukionekana moshi, moto mitaani na milipuko ikisikika. Televisheni ya taifa ilionyesha mifuko ya maiti na familia zikisubiri kutambua miili, ikisema waliokufa ni wahanga wa matukio yaliyosababishwa na “magaidi wenye silaha.”
Katibu Mkuu wa Umoja wa Mataifa Antonio Guterres amelaani matumizi ya nguvu na kuitaka Iran iheshimu haki za kujieleza, kujiunga na kuandamana kwa amani. Iran imetangaza siku tatu za maombolezo ya kitaifa, wakati Israel ikiweka hali ya tahadhari kwa uwezekano wa kuingilia kati kwa Marekani. Wachambuzi wanasema ingawa huenda maandamano yasiiangushe serikali, yanaweza kuiacha ikiwa dhaifu zaidi, huku Trump akisisitiza kuwa Marekani iko tayari kusaidia madai ya “uhuru” ya wananchi wa Iran.
==========
Unrest in Iran has killed more than 500 people, a rights group said on Sunday, as Tehran threatened to target U.S. military bases if President Donald Trump carries out his renewed threats to intervene on behalf of protesters.
With the Islamic Republic's clerical establishment facing the biggest demonstrations since 2022, Trump has repeatedly threatened to get involved if force is used on protesters.
According to its latest figures - from activists inside and outside Iran - U.S.-based rights group HRANA said it had verified the deaths of 490 protesters and 48 security personnel, with more than 10,600 people arrested in two weeks of unrest.
Iran has not given an official toll and Reuters was unable to independently verify the tallies.
Trump was to meet with senior advisers on Tuesday to discuss options for Iran, a U.S. official told Reuters on Sunday. The Wall Street Journal had reported that options included military strikes, using secret cyber weapons, widening sanctions and providing online help to anti-government sources.
"The military is looking at it, and we're looking at some very strong options," Trump told reporters travelling on Air Force One on Sunday night.
Trump said he was in contact with Iranian opposition leaders. He also said, without elaborating, that Iran's leaders had called him on Saturday and want to negotiate, and that he might talk to them.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned Washington against "a miscalculation."
"Let us be clear: in the case of an attack on Iran, the occupied territories (Israel) as well as all U.S. bases and ships will be our legitimate target," said Qalibaf, a former commander in Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards.
Source: Reuters
