Iran military on high alert as US ramps up attack threats

Al Jazeera update

IRAN'S UN ambassador accuses US President Donald Trump of encouraging political destabilisation in his country and inciting violence in a letter to the UN Security Council.

Iranian state television has acknowledged reports of a high death toll during nationwide protests, quoting the head of the Martyrs Foundation as saying “armed and terrorist groups” are to blame.

The internet has now been cut off in Iran for more than five days, although international phone services have resumed sporadically.

More than 100 security personnel have been killed in two weeks of unrest, Iran’s state media report, while opposition activists say the death toll is higher and includes thousands of protesters. Al Jazeera cannot independently verify these figures.

In case of US attack, Iran prepared to ‘set the region on fire’

Iran now faces continuous threats from US President Donald Trump, which runs the risk of further escalation not only in the country but also in the region.

Iranian officials are saying that in the case of a US attack, Iran is prepared for a full range of different scenarios.

The speaker of the parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said yesterday Iran will “set the region on fire” – a very strong message for the US’s allies in the region.

And he said US ships, American military bases in the Middle East, as well as Israeli territory, are going to be “our legitimate targets”.