Iran arrests protest leaders as crackdown continues amid US intervention threat

Iranian police said they detained key protest figures who will face legal procedures, while Washington and Tehran have exchanged threats over possible US intervention.

Iranian authorities say they arrested key members of a protest movement that has been active for about two weeks, the national police chief announced. The protests began after a sharp slide in the currency and broadened into demands for political change. Washington and Tehran have traded threats over the possibility of US intervention, raising regional tensions. Known developments: - National police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said "significant arrests" were made and that those detained will go through legal procedures. - Iran's attorney general announced that protesters or those who assist them could face charges described by officials as carrying the death penalty as "enemy of God". - Authorities imposed a near‑nationwide internet blackout, which rights groups say has limited independent reporting and communication. - US officials and the US president have issued threats of possible intervention, and Iranian leaders have warned that an attack on Iran would change regional security calculations. Summary: The arrests and communications blackout have increased tensions both inside Iran and with the United States, and Iranian authorities say detainees will face legal procedures. Whether the United States will carry out military action is undetermined at this time.