Trump says US will intervene if Iran kills peaceful protesters

US President Donald Trump on Friday warned Iran against using force on protesters, saying the United States was “locked and loaded and ready to go” if peaceful demonstrators were shot and killed. In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “If Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J TRUMP.” Trump's warning comes amid mounting violence during Iran’s biggest protests in three years, triggered by worsening economic conditions and a sharp collapse of the rial. Iranian media and rights groups reported that several people were killed as unrest spread across multiple provinces.

The protests have spread to multiple provinces as demonstrators poured into the streets over the last 24 hours, with some protests escalating into fatal confrontations with security forces, Iran’s civilian government, led by President Masoud Pezeshkian, has tried to show a willingness to engage with protesters. “From an Islamic perspective... if we do not resolve the issue of people’s livelihoods, we will end up in Hell,” he said at an event aired on state television.