Iran's Protest Crackdown Deepens: Children Among Dead, US Warnings Defied

• Iran's crackdown on protests intensifies, with human rights groups reporting children killed and minors detained, despite official claims of restraint.
• Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI) states at least three children killed, over 40 minors arrested, nearly 1,000 detained, and 20 deaths across 78 cities.
• Security forces are accused of indiscriminate violence, using military-grade weapons, and blocking hospital care for wounded protesters.
• The unrest, initially sparked by economic issues, has evolved into political protests, with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei dismissing demonstrators as "rioters."
• Iran has openly defied warnings from US President Donald Trump, blaming foreign actors like the US and Israel for fueling the unrest.

Why It Matters: Iran's severe protest crackdown, targeting children and defying US, highlights a widening gap between claims and reality.