Nuclear Martyrs: Why Iran Says Its Atomic Program Is Now Strike-Proof
Iranian Army Chief Amir Hatami has warned that U.S. strikes would "endanger the Zionist regime," while new reports suggest the regime's recent crackdown left tens of thousands dead.
In a calculated display of stability and defiance, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei appeared in public on Saturday for the first time since the country was rocked by weeks of violent anti-government unrest. Visiting the tomb of Ruhollah Khomeini to mark the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, Khamenei sought to dispel rumors that he had fled to a fortified underground bunker in anticipation of a U.S. military strike. However, the optics of continuity were quickly overshadowed by bellicose rhetoric from Tehran’s military elite, who warned that the "finger is on the trigger" as an American carrier strike group enters the region. While President Masoud Pezeshkian attempted to blend domestic conciliation with accusations of foreign sabotage, the true scale of the recent internal bloodshed is only now coming to light, with some estimates suggesting the death toll from the January crackdown has reached staggering heights.
Hatami’s Warning: Nuclear Tech "Cannot Be Eliminated"
The Iranian military leadership has adopted an increasingly aggressive stance following the arrival of the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East. Army chief Amir Hatami issued a direct warning to both Washington and Jerusalem, stating that any "miscalculation" would endanger the security of the United States, the broader region, and the "Zionist regime." Hatami specifically pushed back against President Donald Trump’s assertions that Tehran would seek a deal to avoid military action.
"If the enemy makes a mistake, without a doubt it will endanger its own security, the security of the region, and the security of the security of the Zionist regime," Hatami said, according to the official IRNA news agency. He insisted that Iran’s armed forces remain at "full defensive and military readiness" and claimed that the nation's nuclear expertise is now beyond the reach of any physical attack. "Iran’s nuclear technology cannot be eliminated, even if scientists and sons of this nation are martyred," Hatami declared, signaling that the regime is prepared to endure significant losses to protect its atomic assets.
The Human Cost of the Crackdown
While the regime projects strength abroad, it is struggling to contain the fallout from the most brutal domestic suppression in its history. Protests that began on December 28 over economic collapse were met with a wave of violence that peaked between January 8 and 9. While the Iranian National Security Council officially acknowledged 3,117 deaths, international rights groups and opposition outlets like Iran International have presented a far more harrowing picture. Documents and hospital data suggest the actual number of those killed may exceed 36,000, with over 30,000 deaths reportedly occurring during a single 48-hour period in early January.
In a rare and grim admission, the deputy chairman of the parliament’s education commission, Farshad Ebrahimpour, acknowledged for the first time that students under 18 were among the tens of thousands detained. Rights groups estimate that at least 300 children and adolescents remain in custody. President Pezeshkian blamed the United States, Israel, and European governments for inciting "riots" aimed at "fragmenting society," though he also urged officials to address public grievances. As the U.S. and Israel weigh the possibility of strikes against the regime's infrastructure, the nation remains a powder keg, held together by the threat of further state violence and the shadow of a wider regional war.