U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday issued a sharp warning to Iran, urging its leadership not to kill peaceful protesters and saying Washington was prepared to intervene if violence escalates.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the United States was “ready and prepared to move” should Iranian authorities use lethal force against demonstrators, without specifying what actions Washington might take.
“If Iran shoots and brutally kills peaceful protesters, which they are known to do, the United States will come to their rescue,” Trump wrote.
A senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded by cautioning Trump against interference, warning that any U.S. intervention would fuel wider instability across the Middle East.
“At least eight people have been killed,” Iranian and regional media reported, after nearly a week of large-scale protests triggered by worsening economic conditions, including inflation, currency depreciation and fuel shortages.
Iranian authorities have not issued an official casualty figure, but security forces have been deployed in several major cities to disperse crowds.
Trump’s remarks mark his strongest public statement on Iran since returning to office and signal a hardening U.S. stance as unrest grows in the Islamic Republic.
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for clarification on whether Trump’s comments implied diplomatic pressure, sanctions, or potential military action.
Iran has repeatedly accused the United States and its allies of fomenting internal unrest, a claim Washington denies.