Iran's military is at its "peak of defensive readiness" and will "confront any aggression", the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has said, as the United States ramped up its rhetoric in support of the protesters in the country. Missile reserves "have increased compared to before the 12-day war [with Israel], and all damage during this period has been repaired, keeping the force at peak readiness", IRGC air force commander Sardar Mousavi was quoted as saying by the Fars news agency. Meanwhile, direct contact between senior officials from the United States and Iran has broken down, according to reports, as tension rises. Some personnel have been advised to leave the main US air base in the region, although there were no immediate signs of a large-scale evacuation of troops as took place in the hours before an Iranian missile attack last year. The US State Department on Tuesday urged American citizens to leave Iran now. Oil prices rose on Wednesday for a fifth straight session on fears of Iranian supply disruptions as the US and Iran traded threats. Brent futures were up 84 cents, or 1.3%, at $66.31 a barrel at 1054 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude was up 81 cents, or 1.3%, at $61.96 a barrel. US President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged Iranians to keep protesting and said help was on the way, without specifying what that meant. Trump has threatened to intervene in support of protesters in Iran, where a rights group said 2,600 people have been killed in recent days in a crackdown on one of the biggest ever protest movements against the regime. The three diplomats told Reuters that some personnel had been advised to leave the US military's Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar by Wednesday evening. One of the diplomats described the move as a "posture change" rather than an "ordered evacuation". The US embassy in Doha had no immediate comment and Qatar's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Trump has been openly threatening to intervene in Iran for days, though without giving specifics. In an interview with CBS News on Tuesday, Trump vowed "very strong action" if Iran executes protesters. "If they hang them, you're going to see some things," he said. He also urged Iranians on Tuesday to keep protesting and take over institutions, declaring "help is on the way". The Iranian official, a senior figure speaking on condition of anonymity, said Tehran had asked US allies in the region to "prevent Washington from attacking Iran". "Tehran has told regional countries, from Saudi Arabia and UAE to Turkey, that US bases in those countries will be attacked" if the US targets Iran, the official said. The official added that direct contacts between Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff had been suspended, reflecting mounting tensions. The United States has forces across the region including the forward headquarters of its Central Command at Al Udeid in Qatar and the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. Iranian state media reported that the head of Iran's top security body, Ali Larijani, had spoken to the foreign minister of Qatar and Araqchi had spoken to his Emirati and Turkish counterparts. Araqchi told UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed that "calm has prevailed" and Iranians were determined to defend their sovereignty and security from any foreign interference, state media reported. The flow of information from inside Iran has been hampered by an internet blackout. US-based HRANA rights group said it had so far verified the deaths of 2,403 protesters and 147 government-affiliated individuals. An Iranian official told Reuters on Tuesday that about 2,000 people had been killed. Iranian authorities have accused the United States and Israel of fomenting the unrest, carried out by people it calls terrorists. Iran's judiciary chief has pledged to fast-track trials for those arrested over a wave of protests that the authorities have dismissed as "riots" as rights groups warn the judiciary will make extensive use of capital punishment. Supreme Court Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei told state television on Wednesday that those "who beheaded people or burned people in the streets" should be "tried and punished as soon as possible". Iranian news agencies also quoted him as saying he had spent five hours in a prison in Tehran to examine the cases and the trials should be held "in public". Iranian state media have aired at least 97 confessions from protesters, many expressing remorse for their actions, since the protests began on December 28, according to a rights group tracking the videos. The suspects are shown handcuffed, their faces blurred. The footage features dramatic background music interspersed with clips appearing to show people attacking security forces. Tehran prosecutors said they would press capital charges of "moharebeh", or "waging war against God", against "rioters and saboteurs" arrested over the deadly demonstrations. Tehran is known to have executed 12 people for espionage since the 12-day war last June with Israel. The most recent execution for espionage was last week, when Iran said it hanged a man accused of spying for Israel's Mossad spy agency in exchange for cryptocurrency. State TV said that a funeral procession would take place on Wednesday in Tehran for more than 100 civilians and security personnel killed in the unrest. Pro-government rallies were held in Iran on Monday, a show of loyalist support for the clerical Iranian establishment. So far, there have been no signs of fracture in the security forces that have quelled other bouts of protest over the years. While Iranian authorities have weathered previous protests, the latest unrest is taking place with Tehran still recovering from last year's war, and with its regional position weakened by blows to allies such as Lebanon's Hezbollah since the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attacks against Israel. Asked what he meant by "help is on its way", Trump told reporters on Tuesday they would have to figure that out. Trump has said military action is among the options he is weighing to punish Iran over the crackdown. "The killing looks like it's significant, but we don't know yet for certain," said Trump upon returning to the Washington area from Detroit, adding he would know more after receiving a report on Tuesday evening. Trump on Monday announced 25% import tariffs on products from any country doing business with Iran. — Agencies
