Amid escalating tensions in Iran, two senior security officials have issued chilling threats to Iranian citizens, warning that both protesting minors and thieves could face death under new shoot-to-kill orders.
Iranian authorities have issued direct threats against citizens as the US-Israel strikes continue, warning that security forces will use lethal force against suspected thieves and protesters.
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Ahmadreza Radan, commander-in-chief of Iran's Law Enforcement Forces (LEF), said Friday that police had been authorised to shoot suspected thieves on sight.
"Because we are in a state of war, I have issued a shoot-to-kill order for dealing with potential thieves," Radan said in an interview with state television. "If any thief is caught by our forces, they will be shot and immobilised."
Death threats against 'ignorant and unaware' children
On Thursday, state broadcaster IRIB aired an interview with a member of Iran's Parliamentary National Security Commission who warned parents to prevent their children from joining protests.
The former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) member, Salar Velayatmadar, said parents who did not control their “ignorant and unaware” children who joined demonstrations or "aligned with the enemy" would face consequences, including death.
"We do not want your child to be killed, because your child is ignorant and unaware," he said.
The warnings come as Basij bases, police stations and law enforcement headquarters have been targeted, and authorities fear renewed street protests.
Mass repression, regime's favourite tool
Iran has witnessed widespread demonstrations since late December, with many students participating. The protests have been met with a brutal crackdown, and the casualty figures remain unclear and impossible to verify due to an internet shutdown that has prevented independent verification.
Tehran has acknowledged 3,117 deaths, while independent sources including human rights groups and medical professionals cite figures ranging from several thousand to 32,000 people, as insiders in Iran told Euronews in mid-January.
After Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in US-Israeli strikes on Saturday, the regime blocked internet access and threatened severe punishment, including execution, for those involved in uprisings.
The latest threats by Tehran indicate that the regime remains determined to hold onto power at any cost, even if it means sacrificing the lives of its own citizens.
The recent statements made by high-ranking officials illustrate the regime's growing desperation to suppress dissent, using extreme measures to prevent a loss of control.
The IRGC has been designated as a terrorist organisation by the EU, the US, Canada, Australia and other countries, while LEF is subject to multiple international sanctions lists.