The head of the Iranian judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, said today that the speedy trials and executions of those detained during the country's nationwide protests will be accelerated despite a warning from U.S. President Donald Trump, the Associated Press reported.
“If we want to do something, we have to do it now. If we want to do something, we have to do it quickly,“ Mohseni-Ejei said in a video statement shared online by Iranian state television.
“If it is too late, two months, three months later, it will not have the same effect. "If we're going to do something, we have to do it fast," he added.
His comments were a direct challenge to Trump, who warned Iran not to execute people. The warning was made in an interview with CBS that aired yesterday, the AP notes. "We're going to take very strong action," Trump warned. "If they do something like that, we will take very strong measures," he added.
The protests in Iran appear to be more widespread than ever, and the government's repression is increasingly brutal, writes the American newspaper "New York Times".
The publication quotes experts and analysts who say that the regime and 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei consider the protests an existential threat and have responded with force to protect the government and their own institutional interests.
Although many would like these protests to overthrow the regime, as the Shah of Iran was overthrown in 1979, this is unlikely to happen, notes the "New York Times". Experts say the government is likely to quell the current unrest, although it may not be able to contain the public discontent in the long term.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to use military force if the government in Tehran continues to kill protesters, the "Washington Post" said. Other options being considered by the US president could include increasing economic pressure on the government, cyberattacks and increased support for the protest movement, the publication noted.