WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump of the United States of America on Friday said that if Iran shoots and kills peaceful protesters, the US will come to their rescue.
“We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” he said in a Truth Social post.
Trump’s declaration follows the deaths of several people as Iran’s biggest protests in three years over economic hardship turned violent across multiple provinces.
The clashes between protesters and security forces mark a significant escalation in the unrest that has spread across the country since shopkeepers began protesting on Sunday over the government’s handling of a sharp currency slide and rapidly rising prices.
The unrest comes as Western sanctions hammer an economy hit by 40% inflation and after Israeli and US airstrikes in June targeted the country’s nuclear infrastructure and military leadership.
Iran’s economy has been struggling for years as a result of US and Western sanctions over Tehran’s nuclear program. Regional tensions led to a 12-day air war with Israel in June, further straining the country’s finances.
The Iranian rial lost around half its value against the dollar in 2025, with inflation reaching 42.5% in December.
