Interview Highlights Fears of Escalating Repression as Protests Spread Across Iran

A recent televised interview focusing on Iran’s escalating unrest highlighted growing concerns over mass arrests, possible executions, and the debate in Washington over how to pressure Tehran without triggering a full-scale war.

During the discussion, a U.S. television host described Iran as approaching a volatile tipping point, arguing that the country may need only a single triggering event to spark a nationwide breakthrough. He claimed that protests have spread to approximately 140 cities and cited casualty estimates ranging from 12,000 to 30,000 people killed during recent unrest. These figures were presented as claims during the conversation and were not independently verified within the interview. The host compared the alleged scale of violence to the mass executions of political prisoners in 1988, particularly those linked to opposition groups.

Iranian-American academic Mohammed Tassouji focused on the scope of arrests and the risk of imminent executions. He claimed that more than 50,000 people have been detained and warned that many detainees face the possibility of execution. He further alleged a sharp increase in executions, including a claim that roughly 500 people were executed over a period of three to four days. Tassouji also said Iranian authorities are pursuing doctors accused of treating injured protesters and described circulating videos that allegedly show abuse and killings inside detention facilities.

According to Tassouji, the current situation is particularly dangerous because it mirrors earlier periods of mass repression, though he argued that widespread smartphone use and social media make it more difficult for authorities to conceal abuses, even when internet access is restricted.

The conversation also addressed U.S. military posture in the region. The host said American forces are currently deployed across the Persian Gulf, the Mediterranean, and the Arabian Sea, describing the buildup as primarily defensive and intended to protect U.S. and NATO personnel and installations. At the same time, he suggested what he described as a “middle option,” involving limited, targeted strikes on fortified sites and infrastructure linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, aimed at weakening the state’s capacity to suppress protests while avoiding the deployment of ground troops.

Tassouji agreed that any political change in Iran must be driven by Iranians themselves and rejected the idea of foreign troops operating inside the country. However, he argued that external pressure that degrades the regime’s tools of repression could support, rather than undermine, an internal uprising. He described Iran’s military capabilities as significantly weaker than those of the United States and characterized Tehran’s threats as largely rhetorical.

The interview also touched on regional symbolism and past conflicts. Tassouji said many Iranians welcomed the killing of Qassem Soleimani, whom he described as a central figure behind violence in Syria and Iraq. Both speakers highlighted women’s rights as a core fault line in Iranian society, with Tassouji portraying women’s leadership in opposition movements as a direct challenge to the ruling ideology.