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Ex-President Trump has threatened to intervene in Iran should its government use lethal force against protesters, resulting in admonishments from senior Iranian officials that any American interference would cross a “red line”.

A Social Media Post Ignites Diplomatic Strain

Via a public declaration on recently, the former president stated that if Iran were to use deadly force against demonstrators, the US would “intervene on their behalf”. He further stated, “we are locked and loaded, and ready to go,” without clarifying what that might mean in practice.

Protests Continue into the New Week Amid Economic Crisis

Public unrest are now in their second week, constituting the largest since 2022. The ongoing protests were sparked by an steep fall in the Iranian rial on Sunday, with its value plummeting to about 1.4m to the US dollar, worsening an existing financial crisis.

Multiple individuals have been reported killed, including a member of the Basij security force. Footage circulate showing law enforcement armed with firearms, with the audio of gunfire audible in the recordings.

Iranian Leaders Issue Strong Warnings

Reacting to Trump’s threat, a top adviser, counselor for the country's highest authority, warned that Iran’s national security were a “definitive boundary, not fodder for adventurist tweets”.

“Any external involvement nearing our national security on any excuse will be met with a forceful retaliation,” the official wrote.

Another leader, a key security official, alleged the US and Israel of orchestrating the protests, a frequent accusation by the government in response to domestic dissent.

“Trump must realize that American involvement in this domestic matter will lead to turmoil in the whole region and the destruction of US assets,” Larijani wrote. “US citizens must know that Trump is the one that initiated this provocation, and they should consider the safety of their soldiers.”

Recent History of Strain and Protest Scope

Tehran has threatened to target US troops stationed in the Middle East in the past, and in June it launched strikes on a facility in Qatar after the American attacks on related infrastructure.

The current protests have occurred in Tehran but have also reached other urban centers, such as Isfahan. Shopkeepers have closed their stores in solidarity, and activists have gathered on university grounds. While economic conditions are the central grievance, protesters have also chanted calls for change and decried what they said was corruption and mismanagement.

Presidential Response Shifts

The Iranian president, the president, initially invited representatives, taking a less confrontational approach than the government did during the earlier demonstrations, which were put down harshly. Pezeshkian noted that he had ordered the administration to listen to the protesters’ “legitimate demands”.

The recent deaths of demonstrators, could, may indicate that officials are taking a harder line against the protests as they persist. A announcement from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps on Monday stated that it would respond forcefully against any outside meddling or “internal strife” in the country.

As Iranian authorities face domestic dissent, it has sought to counter allegations from the US that it is rebuilding its atomic ambitions. Iran has stated that it is no longer enriching uranium domestically and has signaled it is open for dialogue with the west.