The ongoing violent protests in Iran, their escalation, damage to government buildings, shops, and mosques in several cities, and more than 50 deaths have not brought this chain of events to a stop.
According to claims by American media, the number of deaths during protests in Tehran alone has reached 217; however, this claim is being attributed to a doctor who conveyed this information to the media on the condition of anonymity, due to fear of retribution. According to a report, those chanting slogans in favor of the monarchy blocked roads, attacked police stations, and injured several personnel. Citing Tehran Mayor Reza Zakani, Press TV stated that protesters also damaged 26 banks, 2 hospitals, 25 mosques, police installations, and 48 fire trucks.
According to the BBC, two human rights organizations have claimed that at least 50 protesters have so far been killed in these demonstrations, and that an almost complete internet shutdown has been imposed in Iran since Thursday evening, making it extremely difficult to obtain and verify information. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency has claimed that since the protests began on December 28, at least 50 protesters and 15 security personnel have been killed, while more than 2,311 individuals have also been arrested.
As far as the Iranian government’s position is concerned, during a recent visit to Lebanon, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, in an interview with Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Manar TV channel, said that “Iran’s situation is generally stable, although there are some issues that are the result of sanctions and economic weaknesses. For a government based on popular sovereignty and democracy, protests are natural. And that is what is happening.”
Here it is also necessary to understand that, through coordination between Mossad and the CIA, no restraint was shown in provocatively inciting Iranians financially, materially, and verbally through intelligence networks inside Iran. A clear example of this is the killing of key military and scientific leaders in June last year, and during the war, the precisely targeted killing of Iran’s key individuals in apartments and neighborhoods with precise strikes. Regime change in Iran has been Israel’s long-standing desire, and Trump’s threat now appears to be bringing it to fruition.
Earlier, the U.S. president had already threatened to attack Iran in the event of violence or killings of Iranian protesters. Donald Trump has put both Iran and Greenland in precarious positions. Speaking at the White House yesterday, U.S. President Trump said that they do not want Russia and China to reach Greenland; therefore, the United States should own Greenland so that Russia or China cannot have their influence and have strategic and economic advantage of it. “We will obtain Greenland whether it agrees or not, because it is a matter of U.S. national security.”
According to Wikipedia, in terms of area, Greenland is the world’s largest island that does not have the status of a continent, and it is also the world’s most sparsely populated self-governing territory, with a population of nearly 57,000 people. Greenland’s central region has subsided below sea level due to being buried under ice, and if this ice melts, most of Greenland’s central area will be submerged.
In fact, the emerging expansionist tendency of the United States indicated by the earlier threat to attack Iran and then the intentions to seize Greenland began when the U.S. military arrested Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro earlier this month and then brought him to New York, while according to Donald Trump’s statement, he watched this operation live. President Trump still frequently mentions watching this operation live on various occasions. Apparently, Trump wishes that the American nation take pride in this aggressive expansionist action of his, although New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, along with a few American leaders and a segment of the American public, did not view Donald Trump’s action favorably.
In this entire context, it appears appropriate to say that the United States and Israel are aligned in their strategy of actively inciting the ongoing protests in Iran, and one of them—the United States—has already threatened to attack Iran, as mentioned before, while Israel has also carried out an attack on Iran. However, it seems that a U.S. attack on Iran could be far more devastating and potent, as a result of which all countries in the region, including Pakistan, could face a new tense situation, because in such a scenario the United States and Israel would establish dominance in Iran through regime change. Unlike Venezuela, Iran’s army chief has made it clear that Iran can carry out a pre-emptive strike on American assets in the region if it perceives a threat, and Iran is certainly a formidable force whose reaction could create a seismic situation in the region. The impacts and implications of this could be severe for Pakistan, and it is essential for Pakistan to keep its advance planning ready with rehearsals in order to confront this potential situation and ensure protection from unforeseen challenges during possible confrontations.
