US President Donald Trump has issued a sharp warning to Iran’s leadership, cautioning against the use of lethal force on peaceful protesters and saying the United States is prepared to intervene if civilians are killed.
In a brief message posted on social media, Trump said the US was “locked and loaded and ready to go,” though he did not outline what form any intervention might take. He added that if Iran’s authorities violently suppress demonstrators, Washington would step in to protect them.
Iran swiftly pushed back against the statement. Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned that US involvement in Iran’s internal affairs could destabilise the entire Middle East and damage American interests across the region.
The warning comes amid nearly a week of nationwide protests in Iran, sparked by worsening economic conditions and a sharp decline in the value of the national currency. At least eight people are reported to have been killed so far, though the figures have not been independently verified.
Trump’s comments followed days of escalating unrest, with demonstrators clashing with security forces in multiple cities. Footage circulating on social media has shown vehicles set ablaze and running battles in urban areas. BBC Persian has verified videos from protests in Tehran, Lordegan and Marvdasht.
Iranian state-linked media reported that six people were killed on Thursday alone. Two deaths were recorded in Lordegan during clashes between protesters and security forces, while additional fatalities were reported in Azna and Kouhdasht in the west, as well as Fuladshahr in central Iran and Marvdasht in the south. Authorities have not clarified whether all those killed were protesters or security personnel.
Iranian officials previously said a member of the security forces had been killed in Kouhdasht, but protesters disputed that claim, saying the victim was a civilian demonstrator shot by authorities. Tensions flared again during the burial ceremony, where clashes reportedly broke out after mourners resisted attempts by uniformed officers to take control of the coffin.
Some protesters have openly welcomed Trump’s remarks. A young woman demonstrating in Tehran told the BBC that security forces take threats from the US seriously and fear international consequences. Speaking anonymously for safety reasons, she said protesters had long hoped for foreign pressure, believing it could restrain violence by Iranian authorities.
The protests began in Tehran among shopkeepers angered by another sharp drop in the rial’s value against the US dollar. They quickly spread to universities and other cities, with demonstrators chanting against Iran’s clerical leadership. Calls for the removal of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have grown louder, with some protesters even advocating a return to monarchy.
“We have no freedom here,” the protester said. “We face brutality every day. We want to end this system, even if it costs us our lives.”
The unrest marks the most widespread protests since 2022, when demonstrations erupted following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody. While current protests have not reached the same scale, they represent a significant challenge to Iran’s leadership.
President Masoud Pezeshkian has said his government would listen to what he described as the “legitimate demands” of protesters. However, Iran’s Prosecutor-General Mohammad Movahedi-Azad warned that any attempt to destabilise the country would be met with a decisive response.