Trump: US Will ‘Come to the Rescue’ if Iran Kills Protesters
President Trump attends a joint news conference with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky following a meeting at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Trump and a senior Iranian security official exchanged sharp threats Friday as expanding economic protests spread across parts of Iran, further heightening tensions between the two countries following U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June. At least seven people have reportedly been killed in violence connected to the demonstrations.
In a Truth Social post around 3 a.m., President Trump warned Iran against using force on demonstrators. “If Iran shots (sic) and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue,” Trump wrote. “We are locked and loaded and ready to go.”
Soon afterward, Ali Larijani, a former parliament speaker who now serves as secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, accused Israel and the United States of fueling the unrest. Writing on X, Larijani offered no evidence for the claim, which Iranian officials have repeatedly made during previous waves of protests.
“Trump should know that U.S. interference in this internal matter would mean destabilizing the entire region and destroying America’s interests,” Larijani wrote. “The American people should know—Trump started this adventurism. They should be mindful of their soldiers’ safety.”
The protests, now in their sixth day, are the largest Iran has seen since 2022, when the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody sparked nationwide demonstrations. While the current unrest has not yet spread across the entire country or reached the intensity of the 2022 protests, it has grown steadily and remains significant. Amini was detained by morality police over her hijab, or headscarf, not meeting official standards.
Iran’s civilian government, led by reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian, has attempted to signal a willingness to engage with protesters. However, Pezeshkian has acknowledged his limited ability to address the crisis as Iran’s currency continues to plunge. The rial has sharply depreciated, with one U.S. dollar now costing roughly 1.4 million rials, a development that initially sparked the protests. While rooted in economic frustration, demonstrations have also included chants against Iran’s ruling theocratic system.
In a post Wednesday on its Farsi-language X account, the U.S. State Department urged Iranian authorities to halt the crackdown, expressing concern over reports of violence and intimidation against protesters. “First the bazaars. Then the students. Now the whole country,” the statement read. “Iranians are united. Different lives, one demand: respect our voices and our rights.”
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