Trump warns US will intervene if Iran kills protesters amid growing unrest

President Donald Trump warned early on Friday that the US would intervene if Iran began killing protesters.

In a submit on Reality Social, the president stated that if Iran shoots and “kills peaceable protesters by pressure, as is their apply, the USA of America will come to their support.”

“We’re locked and loaded and able to go,” Trump stated.

Trump’s warning comes as demonstrations sparked by Iran’s deteriorating financial system are spreading outdoors the capital and elevating issues a few potential crackdown by safety forces. No less than seven folks – together with protesters and members of Iran’s safety forces – have been killed in clashes, in response to worldwide studies.

Iranian protesters conflict with safety forces as tear fuel fills the streets of Tehran amid nationwide unrest

U.S. President Donald Trump listens throughout a ceremony to award the Mexican Border Protection Medal within the Oval Workplace of the White Home on December 15, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Photographs)

A few of the worst violence has been reported in western Iran, the place movies circulating on-line appeared to indicate burning within the streets and the sound of gunshots throughout nightly protests.

Protesters march in central Tehran, Iran, on Monday, December 29, 2025. (Fars Information Company by way of AP)

The unrest marks probably the most important protests in Iran since 2022, when the demise of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody sparked nationwide demonstrations. Officers say the present protests haven’t but reached the identical scale or depth, however have unfold to a number of areas and have included chants concentrating on Iran’s theocratic management.

Iran’s civilian authorities led by reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian has signaled its willingness to interact with protesters, however the authorities has restricted choices because the nation’s financial system continues to deteriorate. Iran’s forex has plummeted in worth, with roughly 1.4 million rials now wanted to purchase a single US greenback, growing public anger and eroding confidence within the authorities.

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State tv reported the arrests of a number of folks accused of exploiting the unrest, together with these it described as monarchists and others allegedly linked to European-based teams. Authorities additionally claimed that safety forces seized smuggled weapons throughout associated operations, though particulars stay restricted.

Protests in Iran are forcing a nationwide shutdown as President Masoud Pezeshkian closes companies and places of work in 21 provinces amid rising public anger. (MEK/Folks’s Mojahedin Group of Iran)

The demonstrations come amid heightened regional tensions after a 12-day battle with Israel in June, throughout which the USA bombed Iranian nuclear websites. Iranian officers have since stated the nation is now not enriching uranium, in a bid to sign openness to renegotiating its nuclear program to ease sanctions.

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Nevertheless, talks have but to renew as each Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have warned Tehran towards rebuilding its nuclear capabilities – additional growing stress on Iran’s management as protests proceed.

The Related Press contributed to this report.

The Related Press contributed to this report.