Trump warns of U.S. intervention if Iran uses deadly force against demonstrators

President Donald Trump said on Friday that the United States would step in to help if Iran uses violence against peaceful protesters.

President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States would “come to the aid” of Iranian protesters if Iran “violently” intervenes in peaceful demonstrations.

Unrest has been growing in Iran over the past week, fueled by protests against the government’s handling of the country’s rapidly depreciating currency and soaring prices. Annual inflation reached 42.2% in December, and food prices rose by 72%.

The protests turned violent this week, with local media reporting at least six civilian deaths.

“If Iran shoots peaceful protesters and violently kills them, which they are known to do, the United States of America will come to their aid,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social on Friday.

“We are ready and willing to move forward,” he said. According to Reuters, Ali Larijani, an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, said on Friday that US interference in the protests in Iran is tantamount to spreading chaos throughout the region.

Iran’s economy has been struggling since Trump withdrew the United States from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions on the country.

In June last year, US attacks on Iranian nuclear sites escalated tensions, bringing Washington into conflict with its longtime regional foe, Israel.

Suzanne Maloney, vice president and foreign policy director at the Brookings Institution, previously said that Iranians are demanding not only economic reform but also a change in government. She noted that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been in power for 36 years.

“We are hearing cries of death for the dictator. We are hearing slogans that contrast the government’s support for militia groups across the region with the real interests and demands of the Iranian people,” Maloney said.