Trump warns U.S. will intervene if Iranian forces kill protesters

President Trump said on Friday that the United States would come to the aid of protesters in Iran if the government used lethal force, posting on Truth Social that "if Iran 'violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue'" and adding, "We are locked and loaded and ready to go." The remarks came as demonstrations over economic hardship entered a sixth day.

Iranian state media and activists reported at least one person killed in clashes with security forces, and "since then at least two more deaths have been confirmed," the report said. The protests began among business owners and university students in major Iranian cities and have spread to smaller towns; authorities said several security officers have been injured.

Semiofficial outlets and a human rights organization reported clashes and fatalities in the western city of Lordegan, though those accounts could not be independently confirmed. Iranian officials responded with warnings. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the head of Parliament, said on X that "all American bases and forces across the entire region will be legitimate targets" if the U.S.

interferes. Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, warned that U.S.

Key Topics

World, Donald Trump, Iran, Iran Protests, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Ali Larijani