US President Donald Trump has warned that America is prepared to respond if Iranian authorities use lethal force against protesters.
Trump has declared America 'locked and loaded' to intervene if Iran uses lethal force on peaceful protesters. Demonstrations are sweeping Iran and have claimed at least seven lives.
Trump's warning on Truth Social underscores the fragile standoff between Washington and Tehran. This comes just months after US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, leaving the world on edge.
The protests erupted last week, fueled by a crumbling economy where inflation hovers at 40 percent and the rial has dropped to around 1.4 million per US dollar. Crowds in cities from Tehran to the clerical heartland of Qom have chanted against Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, with some even hailing the pre-1979 monarchy. Videos show flames in the streets and gunfire echoing through the night, marking the deadliest unrest since the 2022 Mahsa Amini uprising.
Trump's message was direct and unflinching. 'If Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue,' he posted. 'We are locked and loaded and ready to go.' The statement, issued on 2 January 2026, reflects his longstanding hardline stance against Iran, which he intensified by withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal during his first term.
Surging Death Toll and Nationwide Spread
Human rights groups report at least seven protesters killed, mostly on Thursday, with security forces firing live rounds in places like Azna and Hamadan. Victims include a 28-year-old barber in Lorestan and others killed in nighttime clashes. The unrest has forced shutdowns in 21 provinces, closing businesses amid mounting fury over rising costs and instability.
Demonstrations have ballooned from economic gripes to outright calls for regime change. In Qom, protesters shouted 'Death to the dictator' and pro-Shah slogans, a rare defiance in the religious stronghold. Security forces have deployed tear gas, water cannons, and arrests, detaining figures like a Tehran University student leader whose whereabouts remain unknown.
Iranian authorities blame external agitators, including monarchists and Europe-based groups, for exploiting the chaos. State media claims weapons seizures, but protesters say their demands come from decades of mismanagement, including squandered funds on proxies and nuclear pursuits.
Iranian Backlash and Reform Promises
Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, accused the US and Israel of fomenting the unrest. 'Trump should know that intervention by the U.S. in the domestic problem corresponds to chaos in the entire region and the destruction of the U.S. interests,' Larijani wrote on X. He warned Americans to 'take care of their own soldiers,' alluding to US bases vulnerable after Iran's June attack on a Qatar airbase.
President Masoud Pezeshkian, a reformist, has acknowledged that the anger is aimed at the state itself, vowing no external scapegoats. His government promises economic fixes, including inflation controls and the elimination of corrupt subsidies. Central bank governor Abdolnaser Hemmati has pledged to tackle banking irregularities and privileges for the elite.
Yet hardliners criticise these moves as hasty. Former lawmaker Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh urged restraint to avoid bloodshed, while the Narges Foundation called for solidarity with victims' families.
Broader Tensions and Historical Echoes
This flare-up follows a 12-day June 2025 conflict with Israel, ending in US bombings of three Iranian nuclear sites. Iran claims it halted uranium enrichment and seeks talks to lift sanctions, but negotiations stall amid Trump's threats of further strikes if nuclear rebuilding resumes.
A US State Department spokesperson condemned Tehran's neglect of essentials like water and electricity, blaming billions wasted on 'terrorist proxies and nuclear weapons research.' The protests echo 2018 unrest after Trump's JCPOA exit, which reinstated sanctions and sent the rial from 32,000 to the dollar.
Security analysts see risks of wider instability. Reports from Fox News highlight how economic despair could spiral if suppressed violently, possibly drawing in regional powers. Iran International notes pro-monarchy sentiments as a new twist, signaling deep disillusionment with the theocracy.
As demonstrations persist into their fifth day, the human cost mounts. Families mourn the dead, while global eyes watch for Trump's next move. With no end to the economic woes in sight, Iran's streets remain a tinderbox, testing the limits of reform and repression.
