WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump said the United States is “locked and loaded” to respond if Iran kills protesters, issuing a stark warning as cost-of-living demonstrations in the country turned deadly and Iranian authorities cautioned Washington against interference.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote that if Iran shoots “and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue.” His message followed reports of fatal clashes between protesters and security forces in several Iranian cities.
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Iran quickly pushed back. “Any interventionist hand that attacks Iran’s security under any pretext whatsoever will be exposed to a response,” Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to the supreme leader, wrote on X, adding, “Iran’s security is a red line.”
The confrontation in statements comes as demonstrations over economic hardship have spread beyond the capital. Shopkeepers in Tehran went on strike on Sunday to protest high prices and a stagnant economy, actions that rippled into other parts of the country and drew a heavy security presence.
At least six people have been reported killed since the unrest escalated, according to Iranian media. The semi-official Fars news agency reported two people were killed in the city of Lordegan, in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, and three in Azna, in neighboring Lorestan province. State television said earlier that a member of Iran’s security forces was killed overnight during protests in the western city of Kouhdasht.
The latest demonstrations are smaller than the nationwide wave that erupted in 2022 after the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly violating Iran’s strict dress code for women. Her death set off months of protests that left several hundred people dead, including dozens of members of the security forces, and drew international condemnation.
While the current protests are centered on prices and economic strain, the rhetoric from Washington and Tehran underscores the broader stakes. Trump’s “locked and loaded” remark signals a willingness to respond if Iranian forces escalate violence against demonstrators, while Tehran’s leadership is warning that any perceived US move to exploit the unrest would be met with retaliation.
Iranian officials have long accused foreign adversaries of stoking dissent, particularly during periods of domestic turmoil. For now, authorities appear intent on containing the latest outburst with a mix of security deployments and public messaging aimed at dissuading further gatherings.
The death reports have not been independently verified, and casualty figures in fast-moving protests often shift. But the geography of the unrest — from Tehran’s bazaar to provincial cities like Lordegan, Azna and Kouhdasht — suggests discontent that extends beyond the capital, echoing past cycles of economically driven protest in the Islamic Republic.
As both sides trade warnings, the immediate question is whether the demonstrations intensify or ebb after the initial clashes. In 2022, the protests persisted for months, challenging authorities nationwide. This time, the government’s response, and any external reaction, could determine whether the latest anger over prices hardens into a broader confrontation.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
