President Donald Trump warned Friday that the United States would step in if Iran’s regime turns its guns on peaceful protesters, as economic demonstrations across the Islamic Republic spiral into deadly unrest.
If Iran “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,” Trump wrote in an overnight post on Truth Social.
Iranian leaders quickly fired back, threatening retaliation and warning that any U.S. involvement would put American forces in the Middle East in the crosshairs.
The standoff comes as protests that began over economic hardship have turned violent. Demonstrations erupted Sunday in Tehran after Iran’s currency plunged to a record low against the dollar, sending prices soaring. What started as chants over bread-and-butter issues has since spread to smaller cities and taken on a sharper political edge, with crowds openly targeting the clerical regime and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
At least seven people have been killed, according to the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights, while a semiofficial Iranian outlet reported at least three deaths. Fatalities have included both protesters and members of the security forces.
Gunfire has echoed through several flashpoints. Videos circulating online show cars burning outside a police station in Azna, in western Iran, as gunshots ring out and crowds cheer. Another clip from Marvdasht in southern Iran shows demonstrators advancing toward security forces while chanting “Shameless!”
Iran’s economy has been battered by years of sanctions, last summer’s brief but intense war with Israel, which included U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, and mounting shortages, including a worsening water crisis. The pressure has left the government with little room to maneuver.
President Masoud Pezeshkian’s civilian administration has acknowledged protesters’ “legitimate demands” and signaled interest in dialogue. But hardliners struck a far more confrontational tone in response to Trump.
Khamenei adviser Ali Shamkhani warned that “Any hand of intervention that comes close to Iran’s security under any pretext will be cut off before it can act.” Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf went further, saying Trump’s remarks make “all American bases and forces across the region legitimate targets in response to any possible adventurism.”
Iranian officials also accused Israel and the United States of stirring the unrest, though no evidence was provided.
The demonstrations appear to be the largest since the 2022–2023 Woman, Life, Freedom protests, which were crushed by a brutal crackdown that killed hundreds and led to thousands of arrests.
Breaking: Massive demonstrations are ramping up in Tehran today as Iran’s nationwide protests enter day 6, fueled by economic collapse, soaring inflation, and calls for regime change.
Crowds chanting against the dictatorship stay tuned as the people demand freedom! #Iran… pic.twitter.com/jSFIGHXqeA— Miguel (@Sihman) January 2, 2026
“I think the regime is really cornered in the sense that it cannot address any of the grievances and yet it cannot tolerate people protesting,” Hadi Ghaemi of the Center for Human Rights in Iran told NBC News. “So violence has always been their only tool.”
Authorities attempted to cool tensions this week by declaring a public holiday, creating a four-day break. But security forces are expected to flood the streets again as protests coincide with the anniversary of the U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian commander Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
Donald Trump had already issued warnings earlier this week after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying Iran “may be behaving badly” and hinting at renewed nuclear activity. Pezeshkian responded that any “aggressive action would be harsh and regrettable.”
With blood already spilled and rhetoric hardening on both sides, Iran’s unrest is now colliding head-on with the threat of international confrontation.
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