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Donald Trump has threatened to intervene in Iran if its authorities use lethal force against protesters, prompting cautionary statements from Iran's leadership that any American interference would cross a “red line”.

An Online Declaration Escalates Tensions

In a social media post on recently, the former president said that if Iran were to fire upon protesters, the America would “step in to help”. He further stated, “we are locked and loaded, and ready to go,” without explaining what that would involve in actual terms.

Demonstrations Enter the New Week Amid Economic Turmoil

Public unrest are now in their second week, constituting the biggest since 2022. The ongoing protests were sparked by an unprecedented decline in the Iranian rial on recently, with its value dropping to about a historic low, intensifying an already beleaguered economy.

Several citizens have been confirmed dead, including a member of the Basij security force. Videos have shown officials armed with firearms, with the audio of gunfire audible in the background.

National Officials Issue Stark Rebukes

In response to Trump’s threat, an official, adviser to the supreme leader, cautioned that internal matters were a “definitive boundary, not fodder for reckless social media posts”.

“Any external involvement approaching the country's stability on false pretenses will be severed with a forceful retaliation,” Shamkhani posted.

Another leader, the secretary of Iran’s supreme national security council, alleged the US and Israel of being involved in the demonstrations, a common refrain by the government in response to protests.

“Trump must realize that foreign interference in this domestic matter will lead to instability across the whole region and the destruction of American interests,” he stated. “The American people must know that the former president is the one that initiated this provocation, and they should pay attention to the safety of their troops.”

Recent History of Strain and Demonstration Scale

Tehran has vowed to strike US troops deployed in the region in the before, and in June it launched strikes on Al-Udeid airbase in the Gulf after the US struck Iranian nuclear enrichment sites.

The ongoing demonstrations have taken place in the capital but have also extended to other urban centers, such as a major city. Merchants have shuttered businesses in protest, and students have taken over campuses. While financial hardship are the primary complaint, demonstrators have also chanted calls for change and condemned what they said was failures by officials.

Presidential Approach Changes

The head of state, the president, initially invited demonstration organizers, taking a less confrontational approach than authorities did during the earlier demonstrations, which were violently suppressed. Pezeshkian noted that he had ordered the administration to listen to the demonstrators' core grievances.

The fatalities of demonstrators, though, could signal that officials are becoming more forceful as they address the protests as they persist. A announcement from the powerful military force on recently warned that it would take a harsh line against any outside meddling or “internal strife” in the country.

While Tehran grapple with domestic dissent, it has sought to counter accusations from the US that it is reconstituting its nuclear programme. Iran has stated that it is halted enrichment activities domestically and has indicated it is willing to engage in negotiations with the west.