Protests, Killings Continue Across Iran Amid Major Crackdown

Horrifying images have emerged from inside Iran as a massive crackdown on protesters continues, with internet blacked out and hundreds of deaths being reported.

The demonstrations originally began in December after a spike in inflation, leading to rising anger among the people. However, over the last two weeks, protests escalated into a wider expression of anger and unhappiness over the country's current social, political, and economic state, turning violent in some areas.

However, the government soon began a deadly crackdown, and the people are suffering. Hospitals reported seeing numerous cases of tear gas inhalation and injuries from pellets, fired by pellet guns to repel protesters. Just a few days later, though, they are now seeing scores of patients suffering from life-threatening gunshot injuries.

Police – armed with automatic machine guns – have opened fire on streets full of protesters, many of whom are completely unarmed. Other witnesses spoke about snipers who took out protesters from afar, turning demonstrations into gory scenes of blood and chaos.

The official death toll stands at around 600, but the Iranian government confirmed that around 3,000 people have been killed. Unfortunately, the number is feared to be much greater than even that. Another 10,700 people are currently in Iranian custody, and they plan to impose the death penalty upon those arrested.

Iranian authorities have blamed their attacks on the citizens, claiming that the people have aligned themselves with terrorists and the Western world.

Internet has been shut down across the entire country, and while Elon Musk's Starlink previously served as a beacon of hope for the people to communicate with the outside world, the government has found a way to block their services as well.

Additionally, various human rights groups and journalists are unable to enter the country or contact their Iranian correspondents, preventing the outside world from knowing the real situation inside Iran. However, several residents able to obtain Internet access or using landline phones have quickly utilized them to send videos and reports on the current situation– some of the country's worst violence in its 47-year history.

Now, the United States is entering the mix, with President Donald Trump attempting to halt the conflict using talks with the Iranian government. Iran has confirmed that they are "prepared" for war, but Trump suggested that negotiations were going on behind the scenes.

Trump also announced yesterday that all countries who continue to do business with Iran would take a 25% tariff from the US.

This could have a massive impact on India, who is a crucial Iranian trade partner and is already suffering from a staggering 50% tariff due to their insistence on buying Russian oil. The latest announcement means that India could soon be facing a 75% tariff, which would severely impact the goods they export– the US receives various products from India, including pharmaceuticals, jewelry, textiles, agricultural products, and more.

China will also take a hit from this new tariff, which would increase their current tariff from 20% to 45%. Nevertheless, China has maintained its support for Iran's economy, refusing to back away from trade with other countries.

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Image credit to AFP