President Donald Trump has issued multiple warnings to Iran in recent days regarding the government’s handling of a massive wave of protests in the country. The president has warned that the U.S. military is “locked and loaded and ready to go” if the Iranian regime shoots and kills protesters.
In a Friday post on Truth Social, Trump warned, “If Iran shots 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. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
During a Sunday press gaggle on Air Force One, Trump was asked about his warning to Iran and for clarification regarding when the United States could “get involved” in the new wave of protests in Iran. In response, the president said, “We’ll take a look. We’re watching it very closely. If they start killing people like they have in the past, I think they’re going to get hit very hard by the United States.”
On Sunday, the Human Rights Activists News Agency reported that the Iranian protests against the regime led by Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had spread to at least 78 cities and 222 locations. The Human Rights Activists News Agency also reported that at least 19 protesters had been killed and 990 Iranian citizens had been arrested as a result of the government’s crackdown against the protests.
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In response to Trump’s threats against Iran, Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to Khamenei, issued a statement Friday on X, formerly Twitter, claiming that the president’s threat and statements made by Israeli officials have made clear “what has been going on behind the scenes.”
“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’s interests,” Larijani stated. “The American people should know — Trump started this adventurism. They should be mindful of their soldiers’ safety.”
Additionally, Iranian United Nations Ambassador Amir-Saeid Iravani sent a letter on Friday to the secretary-general and president of the United Nations Security Council, urging the council to condemn Trump’s warnings against Iran. In the letter, which was obtained by Reuters, Iravani said, “Iran will exercise its rights decisively and proportionately. The United States of America bears full responsibility for any consequences arising from these unlawful threats and any ensuing escalation.”
