WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Friday warned that the United States is prepared to intervene if Iranian authorities violently suppress protesters, following deadly clashes during Iran’s largest wave of demonstrations in three years.
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“If Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, the United States of America will come to their rescue,” Trump said in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, adding: “We are locked and loaded and ready to go.”
The warning came as protests driven by economic hardship, a collapsing currency, and soaring prices turned violent across several Iranian provinces. Demonstrations initially began with shopkeepers protesting the government’s handling of the economic crisis before spreading nationwide and escalating into clashes with security forces.
Iran’s economy has been under severe strain since 2018, when the US reimposed sanctions after Trump withdrew from the international nuclear deal during his first term. The pressure has intensified in recent months as the rial has lost more than a third of its value against the dollar over the past year, while inflation reached 52 percent year-on-year in December, according to official data.
State-linked Fars news agency reported that at least five people were killed in clashes in the cities of Lordegan and Azna, where protesters allegedly damaged government buildings and banks. Police reportedly responded with tear gas and made multiple arrests, describing some detainees as “ringleaders.”
In separate incidents, Iranian state television confirmed the death of a Basij paramilitary member during protests in Kouhdasht, with local officials saying at least 13 security personnel were injured by stone-throwing demonstrators. Iranian authorities have continued to refer to protesters as “rioters,” a term frequently used during past unrest.
President Masoud Pezeshkian sought to ease tensions by acknowledging protesters’ “legitimate demands” and urged urgent action to address economic conditions. “If we do not resolve the issue of people’s livelihoods, we will end up in hell,” he said in remarks broadcast on state television.
Despite these conciliatory remarks, authorities have pledged a firm response to any actions they say threaten public order. Iran’s prosecutor general said peaceful economic protests were legitimate but warned that any attempt to create insecurity or damage public property would face a “decisive response.”
The current demonstrations are smaller than the nationwide protests of 2022, sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in custody, but analysts warn that worsening economic conditions could fuel further unrest.
