US President Donald Trump has warned that Washington is prepared to intervene if Iranian authorities kill peaceful protesters amid ongoing demonstrations over economic hardship in the country.
Trump issued the warning on Friday via his Truth Social platform, saying the United States was “locked and loaded” to act if Iranian security forces resort to deadly violence against demonstrators.
The statement followed clashes between protesters and security personnel in several Iranian cities on Thursday, which reportedly left at least six people dead—the first confirmed fatalities since the protests intensified.
The unrest began with shopkeepers in Tehran staging a strike over soaring prices and economic stagnation before spreading to other parts of the country. Protests have since been reported in multiple provinces.
Iranian state-affiliated Fars news agency said two people were killed during clashes in Lordegan, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, while three others died in Azna, Lorestan province. State television also reported that a member of the security forces was killed overnight in Kouhdasht, in western Iran.
While the current demonstrations are smaller in scale than the nationwide protests of 2022 sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody, tensions remain high as economic pressures continue to fuel public anger.
