U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Tehran on Friday that Washington would step in if Iran “shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters,” saying the United States is “locked and loaded and ready to go.”
In a statement released on his Truth Social social media platform, Trump said: “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. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
In response to Trump’s threatening remarks against Iran, the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani on Friday issued his own threat in retaliation, urging Trump to “be mindful of your soldiers’ safety.”
With the statements by Israeli officials and Donald Trump, what has been going on behind the scenes is now clear. We distinguish between the stance of the protesting shopkeepers and the actions of disruptive actors, and Trump should know that U.S. interference in this internal matter would mean destabilising the entire region and destroying America’s interests. The American people should know — Trump started this adventurism. They should be mindful of their soldiers’ safety.”
An additional Iranian statement came from the country’s security chief, Ali Larijani, who warned on his X account that any U.S. interference in Iran’s internal matters would lead to the destabilisation of the entire region.
“The Iranian people know the American idea of ‘rescue’ all too well — from Iraq and Afghanistan to Gaza. Any interventionist hand approaching Iran’s security under false pretexts will be cut off before arrival, with a regret-inducing response. Iran’s national security is a red line, not a playground for reckless tweets.”
Protests erupted on December 28 at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar over the sharp depreciation of the Iranian rial against foreign currencies and worsening economic conditions, before spreading to several other cities nationwide.
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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has since acknowledged the public discontent, saying the government bears responsibility for the current economic problems, urging officials not to deflect all the blame to external actors such as the U.S..
Iran’s semi-official Fars News Agency and human rights group Hengaw reported fatalities during clashes between protesters and security forces. Two people were killed in the city of Lordegan in southwestern Iran, while Fars said three others died in Azna and another in Kuhdasht.
The agency, citing an unnamed local official, reported on Thursday that more than 150 people gathered in the Lordegan area of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, chanting anti-government slogans and throwing stones at public buildings.
( Fatemeh Bahrami – Anadolu Agency )
“After police intervened, some protesters opened fire at security forces, injuring a number of officers, while two people were killed during the clashes,” the official said.
Despite the growing protests and some violence reported, locals claim that the unrest is not as widespread as Western media sources are alleging.
Professor of English Literature and Orientalism at the University of Tehran, Mohammad Marandi, downplayed the hype surrounding the protests on X as “Western propaganda.”
“Don’t take Western propaganda seriously. Zionists/Western intelligence agencies are organising small but violent groups that have attacked and even murdered police officers and volunteers. Iranians view Trump and Netanyahu with deep disgust. They will always fail against Iran.”
On Thursday December 1, large numbers of Iranians gathered to gathered in the southern Iranian city of Kerman where the assassinated IRGC General Qassem Soleimani is buried.
Mourners marked his 6th anniversary of General’s assassination via a U.S. strike which occurred during Trump’s first term as President, on January 3 in Iraq.
Pro-Iran voices have claimed that the large size of the turnout showcases the support Tehran’s regime has among the majority of the population despite rising discontent over the economic situation.
