Writing on Truth Social, the president said if Iran shoots and “violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
“We are locked and loaded and ready to go<\/a>,” Trump said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Trump\u2019s warning comes as demonstrations triggered by Iran\u2019s deteriorating economy<\/a> expand beyond the capital and raise concerns about a potential heavy-handed crackdown by security forces. At least seven people \u2014 including protesters and members of Iran\u2019s security services \u2014 have been reported killed during clashes<\/a>, according to international reporting.<\/p>\n IRANIAN PROTESTERS CLASH WITH SECURITY FORCES AS TEAR GAS FILLS TEHRAN STREETS AMID NATIONWIDE UNREST<\/a><\/p>\n U.S. President Donald Trump listens during a ceremony for the presentation of the Mexican Border Defense Medal in the Oval Office of the White House on Dec. 15, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n Ali Larijani, a former parliament speaker who serves as the secretary of Iran\u2019s Supreme National Security Council, pushed back on Trump’s post, writing on X that, “With the statements by Israeli officials and Donald Trump, what has been going on behind the scenes is now clear. We distinguish between the stance of the protesting shopkeepers and the actions of disruptive actors, and Trump should know that U.S. interference in this internal matter would mean destabilizing the entire region and destroying America\u2019s interests.”<\/p>\n “The American people should know \u2014 Trump started this adventurism. They should be mindful of their soldiers\u2019 safety,” Larijani added.<\/p>\n The threat came after Iran launched an attack on Al-Udeid,<\/a> the American airbase in Qatar, in June 2025. The base is home to 10,000 American forces and is the U.S.\u2019s largest military installation in the Middle East<\/a>. Located southwest of Doha, it serves as a hub for logistical operations for the U.S. mission to fight ISIS in Iraq and Syria.<\/p>\n Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, arrives in Beirut, Lebanon, on Sept. 27, 2025, to attend a memorial service for Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. (Courtney Bonneau\/Middle East Images via AFP\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n At the time, Iran vowed to retaliate against the U.S. after American B-2 bombers dropped 14\u00a0bunker buster bombs on three Iranian nuclear sites.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the recent Iranian demonstrations, some of the most severe violence has been reported in western Iran, where videos circulating online appeared to show fires burning in streets and the sound of gunfire during nighttime protests.\u00a0<\/p>\n “We are to blame… Do not look for America or anyone else to blame. We must serve properly so that people are satisfied with us…. It is us who have to find a solution to these problems,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday, according to Reuters.<\/a><\/p>\n Protesters march in downtown Tehran, Iran, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. (Fars News Agency via AP)<\/p>\n The unrest marks Iran\u2019s most significant protests<\/a> since 2022, when the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody sparked nationwide demonstrations. Officials say the current protests have not yet reached the same scale or intensity, but they have spread to multiple regions and include chants directed at Iran\u2019s theocratic leadership.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s civilian government under reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian has signaled a willingness to engage with protesters, but the administration faces limited options as the country\u2019s economy continues to deteriorate. Iran\u2019s currency<\/a> has sharply depreciated, with roughly 1.4 million rials now required to buy a single U.S. dollar, intensifying public anger and eroding confidence in the government.<\/p>\n TRUMP HINTS AT REGIME CHANGE IN IRAN WHILE DECLARING ‘MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN’ AFTER US STRIKES<\/a><\/p>\n State television reported the arrests of several people accused of exploiting the unrest, including individuals it described as monarchists and others allegedly linked to Europe-based groups. Authorities also claimed security forces seized smuggled weapons during related operations, though details remain limited.<\/p>\n Iranian protests force nationwide shutdown as President Masoud Pezeshkian closes businesses and offices across 21 provinces amid mounting public anger. (MEK\/ People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization of Iran)<\/p>\n The demonstrations come amid heightened regional tensions following a 12-day conflict with Israel in June, during which the United States bombed Iranian nuclear sites<\/a>. Iranian officials have since said the country is no longer enriching uranium, attempting to signal openness to renewed negotiations over its nuclear program to ease sanctions.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/a><\/p>\n However, talks have yet to resume, as both Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu<\/a> have warned Tehran against reconstituting its nuclear capabilities \u2014 adding further pressure on Iran\u2019s leadership as protests continue.<\/p>\n Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips and The Associated Press contributed to this report.<\/p>\n![\"President](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/donald-trump-dec-2025.jpg\")
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