Name: Trump threatens Iran over protest deaths as unrest flares
Uploaded: 2026-01-02T14:11:48.593Z
Duration: 1 min 38 s
Description: U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on Friday (January 2) to come to the aid of protesters in Iran if security forces fire on them, days into unrest that has left several dead and posed the biggest internal threat to Iranian authorities in years.

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on Friday (January 2) to come to the aid of protesters in Iran if security forces fire on them, days into unrest that has left several dead and posed the biggest internal threat to Iranian authorities in years.

Washington

U.S. President Donald Trump stated on social media that the United States would intervene if Iran violently kills peaceful protesters, following days of unrest in Iran that have resulted in several deaths. A senior Iranian official responded by warning that U.S. interference in Iran's domestic affairs would destabilize the entire region.

The protests, sparked by soaring inflation, have spread across Iran, leading to deadly confrontations between demonstrators and security forces. President Massoud Pazeshkian acknowledged government responsibility for the crisis, while economic liberalization efforts and currency deregulation have contributed to a sharp decline in the rial and persistent high inflation.

Trump threatens Iran over protest deaths as unrest flares

U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on social media on Friday that, quote, if Iran shots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. A top Iranian official responded to Trump's comments, warning that U.S. interference in domestic Iranian issues would equal the destabilization of the whole region. The U.S. warning comes days into unrest that has left several dead and posed the biggest internal threat to Iranian authorities in years. Eyewitness video from Thursday showed an overturned car and several fires, as protesters chanted outside a police station in Lorestan province. This week's protests over soaring inflation have spread across Iran with deadly confrontations between demonstrators and security forces. The elected President Massoud Pazeshkian has struck a conciliatory tone. On Thursday, he said the government was at fault for the conditions that gave rise to the demonstrations. State-affiliated media and rights groups have reported at least six deaths since Wednesday. Iran has seen repeated bouts of major unrest in recent decades, often quelling protests with heavy security measures and mass arrests. But worsening economic problems may leave authorities more vulnerable now. Pazeshkian's government is attempting a program of economic liberalization. But one step, deregulating some currency exchange, has contributed to a sharp decline in the value of Iran's rial on the unofficial market. That has compounded inflation, which has hovered above 36 percent since March, in an economy battered by Western sanctions.

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Breakdown