United States President Donald Trump has delivered a stern warning to the Iranian government amid the current agitations against the Islamic regime in Iran. He declared that Washington is going to “intervene” to protect “peaceful protestors” if the Islamic regime tries to utilise brutal force against them.
“If Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” the president wrote on Truth Social on 2nd January and concluded the statement with his signature, “Thank you for your attention to this matter,” alongside his name.
Ali Larijani, a former parliament speaker who serves as the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, responded to Trump’s comment, alleging that Israel and the U.S. are behind the protests in Iran. He wrote in a post on X, “With statements from Israeli officials and @realDonaldTrump, what was happening behind the scenes has become clear. We distinguish between the position of the protesting merchants and the actions of the sabotage elements, and Trump must realise that U.S. intervention in this internal matter will lead to destabilising the entire region and destroying American interests.”
The Iranian leader added, “The American people must know that Trump is the one who started this adventure, and they should pay attention to the safety of their soldiers.”
By 2nd January, the protests had entered their fifth day, with nationwide market shutdowns, university closures, and clashes in several areas. The local media reports that over 37 protestors have been killed, hundreds arrested or wounded, while 8 security forces members have died in the ongoing chaos.
A localised strike by shopkeepers and bazaar traders in Tehran on 28th December 2025 soon snowballed into protests spreading across over 17 out of 31 provinces in Iran. Major cities witnessing street protests include Isfahan, Shiraz, Kermanshah, Tabriz, and Yasuj. It is being said that the protests stemming from economic and other factors have evolved into an anti-Mullah regime demonstration.
In some incidents, the protestors, including students and workers, have raised slogans like “Death to the Dictator, referring to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The ongoing protests have also seen people raising slogans calling for regime change, specifically, the return of the Shah or Reza Pahlavi.
