Following days of large protests against the Iranian government, President Donald Trump sharply escalated his words on Friday, saying that the United States would support demonstrators in Iran if the country's government used deadly force against them.
The remarks were made the day after reports from Iranian activists and state media said that at least one person had died in altercations between demonstrators and security personnel while authorities attempted to quell demonstrations sparked by economic hardship.
Small communities in Iran have also been affected by the protests, which started among university students and business owners in major cities.
According to the authorities, a number of security policemen were hurt during the demonstrations. There were fights and fatalities during protests in the western city of Lordegan on Thursday, according to semi-official news channels and a human rights organization, though the reports could not be independently verified.
In an early Friday morning post on Truth Social, Trump stated that if Iran "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." It was impossible to determine whether such a move had been planned or whether the administration would carry out Trump's threat.
The head of Iran's parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated on X that "all American bases and forces across the entire region will be legitimate targets" in the event that the United States meddles in Iranian affairs.
In a social media post on Friday, Iran's Supreme National Security Council chief, Ali Larijani, stated that Trump "should know that U.S. interference in this internal matter would mean destabilizing the entire region and destroying America's interests."
He continued: "The American people should know Trump started this adventurism." This week, protests broke out all throughout Iran due to skyrocketing prices and a collapsing currency that has rocked the country's economy and forced many Iranians into even greater financial difficulty.
Last weekend, the nation's currency dropped to a record low versus the US dollar, and in December, annual inflation reached 42.2%.
In the past, Iranian authorities have used force to quell protests, imprisoning and occasionally killing protesters. Officials claim to be pursuing negotiations with protest organizers and other representatives this time, with senior authorities even adopting a more accommodative stance.
The strong dissatisfaction and anger that many Iranians have against their leadership is reflected in the protests, which began their sixth day on Friday.
Western sanctions, years of local mismanagement, and international isolation have all contributed to Iran's struggling economy.
The government has also been under fire for a number of other concerns, such as women's rights, severe air pollution, and water shortages.
"Death to the dictator" and "Iranians, raise your voice, shout out for your rights" were among the slogans chanted by demonstrators, according to videos posted on social media by protestors, media outlets, and rights organizations.
Mojtaba, 40, a physician in the northeastern province of Khorasan, stated, "I think Trump's tweet has encouraged protesters, boosted their morale and raised public expectations," but he requested that only his first name be used out of concern for reprisals.
Trump's comments coincide with the United States airstrikes on multiple Iranian nuclear installations about six months ago. During a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week, Trump stated that if Iran persisted in developing ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons, the United States would support Israeli strikes on Iran.
The president stated that he has heard that Iran might be trying to resurrect its nuclear program, but he provided no other information.
In social media posts on Thursday and Friday, Israel's foreign ministry and a number of government ministers praised the demonstrators and denounced the Iranian leadership.
These included posting cartoons that ridiculed Iran's leadership and showed its members in a panic over the ongoing protests on a foreign ministry-run Farsi-language account.
"Your protests, by women and men, young people and students, mothers and fathers are justified," Israeli Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology Gila Gamliel stated in a video that was uploaded on X on Thursday.
"Israel is with you, and we support you in every way possible," she stated. Esmail Baghaei, the spokesperson for Iran's Foreign Ministry, mocked the United States repeated claims to be "saving the Iranian people" on Friday, citing a long list of American actions, such as the United States 1988 downing of an Iranian passenger plane and the strikes carried out in tandem with Israel last year.
"Iranians will resolve their challenges through dialogue and mutual engagement, and will not permit any form of foreign interference," he posted on social media.
