Former US president Donald Trump has warned that the United States would intervene if Iranian authorities kill demonstrators, prompting sharp reactions from senior Iranian officials who said any American interference would cross a “red line”.
In a social media post on Friday, Trump said that if Iran were to shoot and kill protesters, the US would “come to their rescue”. He added that Washington was “locked and loaded”, without clarifying what form any intervention might take.
Protests enter sixth day
The warning comes as protests in Iran entered their sixth consecutive day, marking the largest wave of unrest since 2022, when the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody sparked nationwide demonstrations.
The current protests were triggered by a sharp economic shock. On Sunday, Iran’s national currency, the rial, plunged to around 1.4 million to the US dollar, deepening public anger over inflation, unemployment and economic mismanagement.
Demonstrations began in Tehran and have since spread to other cities, including Isfahan. Shopkeepers have shut their stores, students have taken over university campuses, and crowds have chanted anti-government slogans alongside economic demands.
Iran rejects US warning
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described Trump’s comments as “reckless and dangerous”, saying Iran’s armed forces were on standby.
He maintained that protests had largely been peaceful but warned that attacks on public property would not be tolerated. Referring to Trump’s past domestic actions, Araghchi said the former US president should understand that “criminal attacks on public property cannot be tolerated”.
At least seven people have been reported killed so far, with videos circulating online showing security forces carrying firearms and sounds of gunfire during clashes.
‘Red line’ warnings from Tehran
Responding to Trump’s remarks, Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned that Iran’s national security was not “material for adventurist tweets”.
“Any intervening hand nearing Iran’s security will be cut off with a regret-inducing response,” Shamkhani wrote on X.
Another senior official, Ali Larijani, accused the US and Israel of fuelling the unrest, warning that American intervention would destabilise the region and endanger US forces stationed in the Middle East.
Rising regional tensions
The exchange comes days after Trump suggested the US could strike Iran if it were found to be rebuilding its nuclear programme, further heightening tensions.
Iran has previously threatened US military assets in the region and, in June, attacked the Al-Udeid airbase in Qatar following US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
Government response evolving
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian initially adopted a softer tone, inviting protest leaders for talks and instructing officials to listen to what he called protesters’ “legitimate demands”. However, recent deaths and warnings from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps suggest a tougher approach may be emerging.
While Iran has denied accusations that it is reviving its nuclear programme, saying uranium enrichment has stopped and signalling openness to talks with the West, the growing unrest at home and escalating rhetoric abroad underline the fragile and volatile situation.