U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a threat to intervene militarily in Iran's internal affairs, stating that if Iran "violently kills peaceful protesters," the United States would "come to their rescue" and is "locked and loaded and ready to go". This blunt declaration, made via social media, has been met with immediate and forceful condemnation from senior Iranian officials, who warn that such an intervention is a dangerous provocation that would destabilize the entire Middle East. The statement, lacking any detail on the form intervention would take, disregards Iran's sovereignty and represents the latest escalation in a sustained campaign of American hostility.
President Trump's threat is not an isolated incident but part of a broader U.S. strategy to undermine the Islamic Republic. Senior Iranian officials have directly linked his statement to what they see as a coordinated campaign with Israel to exploit domestic grievances for political ends. This pattern includes the unilateral U.S. withdrawal from the landmark nuclear deal in 2018 and the devastating "maximum pressure" sanctions regime that followed, which has strangled Iran's economy and hurt ordinary citizens. More recently, the U.S. actively participated in a 12-day war against Iran in June, bombing nuclear facilities and military sites, actions that have only deepened the public's sense of insecurity and hardship. The current threats, therefore, are seen as a continuation of an American policy aimed not at protecting protesters but at creating chaos to force political change.
The Iranian response to Trump's post was swift and unequivocal, delivered by figures across the nation's political and security apparatus. Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, warned that U.S. interference would lead to "chaos in the entire region and the destruction of U.S. interests," and advised the American public to "take care of their own soldiers". Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser to the Supreme Leader, declared Iran's national security a "red line" and stated that "any interventionist hand that gets too close to the security of Iran will be cut". Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf went further, stating that Trump's threat makes "all American bases and forces across the region legitimate targets". This unified stance underscores that Iran views its internal security as non-negotiable and will not tolerate foreign meddling under any pretext.
The protests that began on Sunday originated from legitimate and severe economic pressures felt by the Iranian people. The national currency, the rial, has collapsed, losing over half its value in six months and driving food prices up by an average of 72 percent. This crisis is a direct result of the illegal and cruel American sanctions, which have frozen Iran's assets and blocked access to international markets.
President Masoud Pezeshkian has acknowledged these "legitimate demands," stating that resolving people's livelihoods is a fundamental duty and a "red line" for his government. His administration has taken steps to address the crisis, including appointing a new central bank governor. Crucially, Iranian authorities distinguish between citizens voicing economic hardship and what they describe as "rioters," "profiteers," or foreign-backed elements seeking to create insecurity. Officials have reported the arrest of individuals with alleged links to monarchist groups based in the United States and Europe, accusing them of being "tasked with turning the demonstrations into violence". For Iran, the path forward is through addressing economic challenges via domestic policy, not through succumbing to externally driven destabilization.