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Ex-President Trump has threatened to intervene in the Islamic Republic if its authorities use lethal force against demonstrators, prompting warnings from high-ranking figures in Tehran that any involvement from Washington would cross a “red line”.

A Social Media Post Fuels Diplomatic Strain

In a public declaration on recently, the former president declared that if Iran were to use deadly force against demonstrators, the United States would “come to their rescue”. He further stated, “we are prepared to act,” without clarifying what that might mean in practice.

Protests Continue into the Sixth Day Against a Backdrop of Financial Strain

Public unrest are now in their sixth day, marking the most significant since 2022. The current unrest were catalyzed by an unprecedented decline in the national currency on Sunday, with its value plummeting to about a record depreciation, worsening an precarious economic situation.

Multiple individuals have been reported killed, including a volunteer for the Basij security force. Videos reportedly show officials carrying firearms, with the sound of shooting audible in the background.

National Officials Issue Strong Responses

Addressing the intervention warning, an official, adviser to the country's highest authority, cautioned that internal matters were a “definitive boundary, not material for reckless social media posts”.

“Any foreign interference nearing the country's stability on pretexts will be cut off with a swift consequence,” he posted.

Another leader, a key security official, alleged the outside actors of having a hand in the unrest, a typical response by Tehran in response to protests.

“Washington needs to know that US intervention in this national affair will lead to destabilisation of the whole region and the harm to US assets,” Larijani declared. “The American people must know that Trump is the one that started this adventure, and they should pay attention to the security of their troops.”

Context of Tensions and Protest Nature

Tehran has vowed to strike foreign forces deployed in the region in the past, and in recent months it launched strikes on a facility in the Gulf after the American attacks on Iranian nuclear enrichment sites.

The current protests have taken place in Tehran but have also spread to other cities, such as Isfahan. Shopkeepers have closed their stores in solidarity, and activists have taken over campuses. Though financial hardship are the primary complaint, demonstrators have also voiced calls for change and decried what they said was graft and poor governance.

Presidential Response Changes

The Iranian president, the president, first called for protest leaders, adopting a softer stance than authorities did during the previous unrest, which were violently suppressed. The president stated that he had ordered the administration to listen to the demonstrators' core grievances.

The recent deaths of protesters, however, suggest that the state are adopting a tougher stance against the unrest as they persist. A communiqué from the powerful military force on recently cautioned that it would take a harsh line against any external involvement or “unrest” in the country.

As Iranian authorities grapple with domestic dissent, it has tried to stave off accusations from the United States that it is reviving its atomic ambitions. Tehran has claimed that it is ceased such work domestically and has indicated it is willing to engage in dialogue with the west.