Trump warns Iran that United States will 'rescue' protesters

Jan. 2 (UPI) -- U.S. President Donald Trump warned the Iranian government Friday that the United States would intervene if it resorted to deadly force amid mounting anti-government protests across the country over prices, inflation and a currency collapse.

If Iran "violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go," said Trump, without elaborating what form any intervention might take.

The comments, which came as the number of people reported killed in protests that erupted Sunday rose to six, were met with defiance from Tehran, threatening that U.S. involvement could spark chaos across the region.

Top security official Ali Larijani said Trump "should know that U.S. interference in this internal matter would mean destabilizing the entire region and destroying America's interests."

Related

• At least 1 dead in Iran protests against falling currency, inflation
• Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi hospitalized twice after arrest in Iran
• U.N. report: Iran using surveillance, informants to pressure women into complying with hijab laws
• United States, Britain sanction Iranian forces that cracked down on protesters

"The American people should know -- Trump started this adventurism."

Two people were killed in the southwestern city of Lordegan in clashes between protesters and security forces, three in Azna and a sixth in Kouhdasht, but it was unclear whether security personnel were among those killed.

The economy has been rocked by massive price hikes, inflation of more than 40%, and a sharp devaluation of the rial against the U.S. dollar, inflicting economic distress on large portions of the population.

The disturbances are widespread and not restricted to certain groups -- students, women or workers -- as in previous outbreaks, most recently in 2022 over the death in police custody of 22-year-old Urmia University student Mahsa Amini.

The current unrest began when shopkeepers came out onto the streets of Teran on Sunday, followed by university students on Tuesday, before spreading to other cities, with protestors calling for an end to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's theocratic regime.

Many have been chanting "Long Live the Shah," referencing the country's monarchy overthrown in an Islamic revolution in 1979.

The regime, which has suppressed mass public displays of dissent in the past, arresting protesters and sometimes using deadly force, is seeking talks with leaders of the protests and other organizations.

The speaker of the Iranian parliament has said their grievances must be addressed.

In June, Trump ordered U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy warplanes into Iran to attack three key nuclear facilities, which his administration believed were getting closer to developing a nuclear weapon.

Iran claims the program is for nuclear energy purposes only.