Iran on a knife's edge: Thousands killed and protests continue amid international threats

Iran on a knife's edge: Thousands killed and protests continue amid international threats

Protests continued in several major Iranian cities on Tuesday, amid an unprecedented escalation of unrest. An Iranian official told Reuters that nearly 2,000 people have been killed since the protests began, including members of the security forces—a toll reflecting the gravity of the situation and the deepening internal crisis. These developments come as several countries, most notably the United States, urged their citizens to leave Iran immediately, fearing further deterioration in security given the widening scope of the protests and the lack of any clear signs of their imminent containment. The US State Department called on American citizens, particularly those with dual US-Iranian citizenship, to leave Iran urgently, warning of serious risks including interrogation, arrest, and detention. Washington also advised its citizens to travel by land to neighboring countries such as Armenia and Turkey, or to Azerbaijan in emergencies. Other countries, including Sweden, Australia, Poland, …