Six Iranians spoke to The Associated Press about the protests in Iran, describing how they expected the state to respond aggressively but were horrified by the extent of the brutal crackdown.

The wave of protests in Iran, which broke out on 28 December over the collapse of the rial currency and the rising cost of living, saw between 6,000 and as many as 30,000 people feared killed by the Tehran regime.

Many people in Tehran and Tel Aviv are worried that Trump will make good on his threats to attack Iran again, but for some, it's fear laced with hope.

This was not panic. This was a plan,” NCRI US Deputy Director Alireza Jafarzadeh told reporters at a briefing in Washington. “They anticipated a national uprising — and prepared to crush

US President Donald Trump vowed to use force if Tehran ignored his demands and announced an “armada” heading toward Iran. Iran has indicated it is willing to shut down or suspend its nuclear program to calm a spiraling crisis with the United States,

Almost a month after Iranians mounted their biggest challenge to the Islamic regime that has ruled them for a half century, the shocking death toll is becoming more clear. The protests began in late December and were growing by the day on Jan. 8, when Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s deposed Shah, called for mass demonstrations.

Even with US forces poised to strike Iran, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told CNN that he was “confident that we can achieve a deal” on Tehran’s nuclear program.