DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The head of Iran’s judiciary signaled Wednesday there would be fast trials and executions ahead for those detained in nationwide protests despite a warning from U.S. President Donald Trump.

The comments from Iran’s judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei come as activists had warned hangings of those detained could come soon. Already, a bloody security force crackdown on the demonstrations has killed at least 2,571, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported. That figure dwarfs the death toll from any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades and recalls the chaos surrounding the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Trump repeatedly has warned that the United States may take military action over the killing of peaceful protesters, just months after it bombed Iranian nuclear sites during a 12-day war launched by Israel against the Islamic Republic in June.

Meanwhile Wednesday, Iran prepared for the mass funeral of 100 security force members killed in the demonstrations as people remained fearful in the streets. Plainclothes security forces still milled around some neighborhoods, though anti-riot police and members of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard’s all-volunteer Basij force appeared to have been sent back to their barracks.

“We are very frightened because of these sounds (of gunfire) and protests,” said one mother of two children shopping for fruits and vegetables Wednesday, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. “We have heard many are killed and many are injured. Now peace has been restored but schools are closed and I’m scared to send my children to school again.”

Ahmadreza Tavakoli, 36, told The Associated Press he witnessed one demonstration in Tehran and was shocked by the use of firearms by authorities.

“People were out to express themselves and protest, but quickly it turned into a war zone,” Tavakoli said. “The people do not have guns. Only the security forces have guns.”

‘We have to do it quickly’

Mohseni-Ejei made the comment in a video shared by Iranian state television online.

“If we want to do a job, we should do it now. If we want to do something, we have to do it quickly,” he said. “If it becomes late, two months, three months later, it doesn’t have the same effect. If we want to do something, we have to do that fast.”

His comments stand as a direct challenge to Trump, who warned Iran about executions an interview with CBS aired Tuesday.

“We will take very strong action,” Trump said. “If they do such a thing, we will take very strong action.”

“We don’t want to see what’s happening in Iran happen. And you know, if they want to have protests, that’s one thing, when they start killing thousands of people, and now you’re telling me about hanging — we’ll see how that works out for them. It’s not going to work out good.”

Meanwhile, activists said Wednesday that Starlink was offering free service in Iran. The satellite internet service has been key in getting around an internet shutdown launched by the theocracy on Jan. 8. Iran began allowing people to call out internationally on Tuesday via their mobile phones, but calls from people outside the country into Iran remain blocked.

“We can confirm that the free subscription for Starlink terminals is fully functional,” said Mehdi Yahyanejad, a Los Angeles-based activist who has helped get the units into Iran. “We tested it using a newly activated Starlink terminal inside Iran.”

Starlink itself did not immediately acknowledge the decision.

Security service personnel also apparently were searching for Starlink dishes, as people in northern Tehran reported authorities raiding apartment buildings with satellite dishes. While satellite television dishes are illegal, many in the capital have them in homes, and officials broadly had given up on enforcing the law in recent years.

Death toll continues to rise

The Human Rights Activists News Agency said 2,403 of the dead were protesters and 147 were government-affiliated. Twelve children were killed, along with nine civilians it said were not taking part in protests. More than 18,100 people have been detained, the group said.

Gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult, and the AP has been unable to independently assess the toll given the communications being disrupted in the country.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — IU Athletics on Tuesday night announced details on a watch party at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall as the Hoosiers takes on the Miami Hurricanes on Monday night in the College Football Playoff National Championship.

Free digital tickets were available online on Monday night.

The party will kick off at 7:30 p.m. Monday with doors opening at 6 p.m.

As part of the festivities, 10,000 commemorative rally towels will be distributed to fans attending the event.

Scott Dolson, IU vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics, said in a statement in the announcement, “We’re excited to offer an opportunity for those who aren’t able to make the trip to Miami to share this experience with fellow Hoosier fans. As will be the case at Hard Rock Stadium, I know that the atmosphere inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Monday night will be electric.”

Standard game-day policies will be in effect during the party, including a clear bag policy. Fans can also enjoy food and merchandise options as concession stands and the IU Team Store will open at 6 p.m.

Fans are encouraged to arrive early to secure good seating, as all seats are general admission and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

• Indiana football fans invited to Fishers Event Center’s free watch party
• More IU football coverage from WISHTV.com

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Democratic State Senator J.D. Ford, who represents Indiana’s 29th District, has launched a campaign to unseat U.S. Rep Victoria Spartz.

Ford will run in Indiana’s 5th District, a seat Spartz, a Republican, has held since 2020. Spartz has already announced her re-election campaign.

Indiana’s 5th Congressional District covers Delaware, Grant, Hamilton, Madison, Tipton, and most of Howard counties.

“Washington politics has been playing an outsized role in our state’s government and too many decisions are made based on power instead of people,” Ford said in a release Wednesday. “I’m running for Congress because my service to Hoosiers doesn’t stop at the Statehouse. I want to bring Indiana’s hard work and community values to our nation’s capital. Hoosiers deserve a compassionate leader who shows up, listens, and takes action.”

Ford was first elected to the state senate in 2018 and won re-election in 2022.

He is currently the only openly gay lawmaker in the Indiana General Assembly.

IU Indianapolis professor Todd Shelton has also filed to run as a Democrat.

The primary is May 5.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The big chill returns with scattered snow showers and much colder temperatures settling in starting today.

Today:

As a cold front moves in, temperatures will steadily decline throughout the day. Winds from the northwest will intensify, with gusts potentially reaching up to 35 mph, making the temperature feel even colder.

Scattered snow showers are expected to develop as the colder air takes hold. Some locations may see snow mixing with rain early on, but most areas will transition fully to snow, leading to minor accumulations of about a dusting to a half inch. However, a lake-enhanced snow band may form, bringing localized totals of one to two inches where it persists. This may fluctuate over northern portions of the state, but could include areas like Kokomo, Muncie, and Marion

Late week:

Thursday night into Friday may bring additional light accumulating snow as another weak weather system moves through the region. Areas could see similar totals of one to two inches as the cold air quickly returns behind this system.

Cold temperatures are projected to linger through the weekend, with highs in the teens to low 20s. The coldest day is anticipated to be Sunday, when wind chills could dip below zero at times. Additionally, light snow or snow showers might occur, but significant accumulations are not expected.

7 day forecast:

Cold air looks to settle in for the extended period, with highs running about 15° below average to kick off next week.

FISHERS, Ind. (WISH) — Fishers police say a suspect is in custody after a man was fatally shot inside a bar early Monday morning.

Sgt. Angela Ellison with the Fishers Police Department told News 8 at the scene the shooting happened around 2:45 a.m. at the Britton Tavern, 14005 Mundy Dr.

That’s in a strip mall and business area off East 141st Street and IN-37.

The man shot during the incident died at the scene, Ellison says. A suspect is in custody, but it was unclear if he has been detained or arrested.

It was also unclear what led up to the shooting.

This is a developing story.

INDIANAPOLIS (CONSUMER REPORTS) — Turkey, stuffing, pies —your oven’s been busy lately. But if it’s covered in drips and splatters from dinners past, you might be in for more smoke than sizzle. Consumer Reports reveals the easy ways to clean it safely, and why that self-clean cycle may not always be the hero you expect.

It’s easy to find a lot of horror stories online about people who say they’ve damaged or destroyed their ovens by running the self-clean cycle. Our testing finds that the self-clean cycle is generally safe to use and pretty effective.

CR says those high temperatures that help your oven clean also produce smoke and fumes, so you’ll want to take a few precautions:

First, keep kids and pets out of the kitchen when you run the self-clean cycle. If you have a range hood, turn it on and open some windows. Remember, the top of the stove can get hot, so keep it clear.

And just because it’s self-cleaning doesn’t mean you’re totally off the hook; you’ll need to remove the racks and clean those by hand. You’ll also need to wipe down the oven after the cycle to remove the ash buildup.

One final tip from CR: The best approach is to keep your oven as clean as you can while you’re using it, wiping spills up as they occur and cleaning up grease after you cook something fatty like a chicken or a roast.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the oven door locks for the entire cycle, which can take up to 5 hours. If you start the self-clean cycle later in the day, it might be a good night to order takeout. No self-clean cycle, no problem. You can head over to CR.org and learn how to deep clean an oven without the self-clean feature.

Now, all you have to do is put on an apron and cook a delicious holiday meal!

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A man was critically injured in a Monday morning shooting on the far east side of Indianapolis, police said.

Just before 2:40 a.m., Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to a shooting in the 2700 block of Pointe Harbor Drive. That’s a residential area near East 30th Street and North German Church Road.

Officers arrived and located the victim, who had been shot at least once.

It’s unclear what led to the shooting and IMPD did not share any suspect information.

INDIANAPOLIS: A winter weather advisory has been issued for all of central Indiana. This alert will run from 7 PM ET today to 7 AM ET on Tuesday.

TODAY: Fog is present across north central Indiana this morning. Cloudy skies remain for today. Widespread light snow will be arriving this evening. High temperatures in the low to mid-30s.

TONIGHT: Steady light to moderate snow continues into the early morning hours. Snow will wrap up from west to east prior to daybreak. This will be an all-snow event, unlike the event this past weekend. Central Indiana can expect 1-3″ of snow. Low temperatures in the mid-20s.

TOMORROW: Even though snow exits prior to daybreak, it still may be a slick morning commute. Mostly cloudy skies remain. High temperatures in the upper 20s.

7-DAY FORECAST: Colder air than average continues all the way through the weekend. A few flurries may be possible on Wednesday/Wednesday night. Friday morning, we will be waking up to low temperatures in the low teens.