U.S. President Donald J. Trump has warned that the United States is prepared to take military action against Iran if its authorities continue to violently suppress ongoing nationwide protests.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Thursday, Trump accused Tehran of routinely using lethal force against peaceful demonstrators and said Washington would intervene if such actions persist.
“If Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go.”
The statement immediately drew strong reactions online, with critics describing it as provocative and reckless, while supporters praised it as a firm response to alleged human rights abuses in Iran.
Iranian officials swiftly rejected Trump’s remarks. Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned that any U.S. interference in Iran’s internal affairs would have severe regional consequences.
“The American people should know that Trump started the adventurism. They ought to watch over their soldiers,” Larijani said, pointing to Iran’s influence through allied groups in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen.
Trump’s comments come amid the most significant wave of protests Iran has experienced in three years. Demonstrations driven by soaring inflation, currency depreciation and economic hardship have spread across several provinces, with deadly clashes reported in western regions including Lorestan and Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari.
State-linked media and human rights groups say at least six people have been killed since Wednesday. Among the dead is a member of the Basij paramilitary force, which is affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
The Hengaw human rights organisation also reported that at least 29 protesters have been arrested, including women, children and members of ethnic minority groups. Local officials have issued stern warnings.
A senior judicial official in Lorestan said there would be “no tolerance for illegal actions that threaten public order,” while state media reported multiple arrests in Azna and Delfan counties.
In Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency said three protesters were killed and 17 injured during an attack on a police station.
Despite the hardline security response, President Masoud Pezeshkian struck a conciliatory tone earlier this week, acknowledging government responsibility for the economic crisis.
“We are to blame… Do not look for America or anyone else to blame,” Pezeshkian said. “We must serve properly so that people are satisfied with us.”
Iran’s economy has been under intense pressure from Western sanctions linked to its nuclear programme, a sharp fall in the rial following currency policy changes, and sustained inflation estimated officially at over 36 percent.
Additional strain has come from recent regional conflicts involving Israel, U.S. strikes, and setbacks to Tehran’s allies.
