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The former president has threatened to intervene in Iran if its authorities use lethal force against demonstrators, prompting warnings from Iran's leadership that any US intervention would cross a “red line”.

A Social Media Post Fuels Tensions

In a social media post on recently, Trump said that if the country were to fire upon protesters, the US would “intervene on their behalf”. He further stated, “we are prepared to act,” without detailing what that could entail in practice.

Protests Enter the Next Phase Amid Economic Turmoil

Demonstrations across the nation are now in their sixth day, representing the biggest in several years. The ongoing protests were triggered by an steep fall in the Iranian rial on recently, with its worth falling to about a record depreciation, intensifying an existing financial crisis.

Multiple individuals have been confirmed dead, among them a member of the state-affiliated group. Recordings reportedly show law enforcement armed with shotguns, with the audio of gunfire heard in the video.

Tehran's Officials Issue Stark Warnings

Reacting to Trump’s threat, Ali Shamkhani, counselor for the supreme leader, warned that internal matters were a “red line, not material for online provocations”.

“Any intervening hand nearing our national security on pretexts will be cut off with a forceful retaliation,” he said.

Another senior Iranian official, the secretary of Iran’s supreme national security council, accused the outside actors of having a hand in the protests, a frequent accusation by the government in response to protests.

“The US should understand that US intervention in this domestic matter will lead to turmoil in the entire area and the damage to Washington's stakes,” he declared. “The public must know that Trump is the one that began this escalation, and they should be concerned for the safety of their troops.”

Recent History of Conflict and Demonstration Nature

The nation has threatened to target American soldiers based in the region in the before, and in June it attacked Al-Udeid airbase in the Gulf after the American attacks on related infrastructure.

The ongoing demonstrations have occurred in the capital but have also extended to other cities, such as a major city. Business owners have closed their stores in protest, and youth have gathered on university grounds. Though financial hardship are the main issue, demonstrators have also chanted calls for change and condemned what they said was failures by officials.

Government Stance Evolves

The nation's leader, Masoud Pezeshkian, first called for protest leaders, adopting a less confrontational approach than authorities did during the 2022 protests, which were violently suppressed. He said that he had directed the administration to listen to the demonstrators' core grievances.

The loss of life of protesters, could, could signal that authorities are taking a harder line against the protests as they persist. A statement from the state security apparatus on recently warned that it would take a harsh line against any outside meddling or “unrest” in the country.

As the government face domestic dissent, it has sought to counter allegations from the United States that it is rebuilding its atomic ambitions. Iran has claimed that it is halted enrichment activities domestically and has indicated it is open for dialogue with the west.