Former US President Donald Trump has issued a direct and forceful warning to Iran, stating that the United States is prepared to intervene if the Iranian regime violently targets peaceful demonstrators. The statement, made on Friday via his social media platform Truth Social, escalates US rhetoric amid ongoing and deadly protests within Iran.
Trump's Stark Warning to Tehran
In a strongly worded post, Donald Trump declared that the US would come to the rescue of Iranian citizens if authorities resorted to lethal force against them. "If Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue," Trump wrote. He emphatically added, "We are locked and loaded and ready to go." The message was signed off as from "President DONALD J. TRUMP," underscoring the formal nature of the threat from the former commander-in-chief.
Protests Erupt Over Economic Hardship
Trump's warning follows a significant escalation in Iran's most substantial wave of public unrest in three years. The protests, which began in the capital city of Tehran on Sunday, have since spread across multiple provinces, turning violent in several locations. The initial catalyst was economic frustration, with shopkeepers and citizens taking to the streets to voice anger over the government's handling of a severe currency devaluation, prolonged economic stagnation, and skyrocketing inflation.
Official economic data paints a grim picture, showing that the inflation rate climbed to a staggering 42.5% in December. This severe economic pressure has fueled widespread public discontent, leading to the largest demonstrations seen in the country since 2021.
Casualties Mount in Nationwide Clashes
The protests have not remained peaceful, with clashes breaking out between security forces and demonstrators. According to reports, at least seven people have been killed in the violence that has gripped the nation. The deaths and the scale of the protests indicate a deepening crisis for the Iranian government, which is now facing both internal upheaval and an explicit warning from a leading figure in US politics.
Donald Trump's statement on Truth Social represents a major development in the international dimension of the crisis. By framing a potential US intervention as a "rescue" mission for protesters, he has directly inserted the United States into the unfolding narrative, raising the geopolitical stakes surrounding Iran's domestic turmoil.
