Iran on brink as blackout sparks ‘massacre’ fears and protesters face death penalty as Trump warns ‘we’ll get involved’

IRAN is teetering on the brink of collapse – with the internet blackout sparking fears of a “massacre” and millions of outraged protesters now facing the death penalty.

As Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei barely clings to power, Donald Trump has warned the US “will get involved” if the mullah regime uses violence to crack down on demonstrators.

At least 50 people have died amid the carnage which kicked off on December 28, according to human rights groups.

Over 2,300 protesters have also been arrested as the violent demonstrations hit the two-week mark.

On Friday, Donald Trump warned Iran was in “big trouble”.

Threatening to punish the mullahs if they killed protesters, the US president said: “You better not start shooting because we’ll start shooting too.”

The Ayatollah’s teetering regime has cut off all internet across Iran and plunged the nation into a total communications blackout.

Doctors in Iran said their hospitals were overwhelmed, with one in Tehran in “crisis mode” due to the huge wave of patients, BBC reported.

Sir Keir Starmer made a joint statement alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

The trio said: “The Iranian authorities have the responsibility to protect their own population and must allow for the freedom of expression and peaceful assembly without fear of reprisal.”

With his power hanging in the balance, the Supreme Leader fumed on Friday in a televised address: “The Islamic Republic came to power through the blood of several hundred thousand honourable people and it will not back down in the face of those who deny this.”

The protests began two weeks ago in Iran’s capital but have since spilled into nearly 300 towns and cities.

They followed years of economic turmoil which had sent prices spiralling ever since the 12-day war with Israel and Iran last summer.

Sanctions have made everyday life completely unaffordable, the currency has collapsed, and extreme hyperinflation has crippled ordinary citizens.