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Donald Trump has warned of involvement in Iran if its regime use lethal force against protesters, leading to warnings from senior Iranian officials that any involvement from Washington would violate a critical boundary.

An Online Statement Ignites Diplomatic Strain

In a online statement on recently, Trump declared that if the country were to fire upon protesters, the US would “intervene on their behalf”. He added, “our response is imminent,” without explaining what that could entail in practice.

Unrest Continue into the New Week Against a Backdrop of Financial Strain

Demonstrations across the nation are now in their second week, representing the largest since 2022. The current unrest were triggered by an sharp drop in the national currency on recently, with its value dropping to about a historic low, worsening an already beleaguered economy.

Multiple individuals have been reported killed, including a member of the Basij security force. Footage reportedly show law enforcement armed with firearms, with the audio of gunfire audible in the recordings.

Iranian Officials Deliver Firm Responses

Addressing Trump’s threat, an official, adviser to the supreme leader, stated that internal matters were a “definitive boundary, not a subject for reckless social media posts”.

“Any foreign interference targeting the country's stability on false pretenses will be met with a forceful retaliation,” the official said.

A separate high-ranking figure, the secretary of Iran’s supreme national security council, accused the foreign powers of having a hand in the protests, a frequent accusation by officials when addressing domestic dissent.

“The US should understand that American involvement in this domestic matter will lead to instability across the entire area and the destruction of US assets,” Larijani wrote. “The public must know that Trump is the one that began this escalation, and they should consider the well-being of their military personnel.”

Background of Tensions and Demonstration Scale

The nation has vowed to strike American soldiers stationed in the region in the past, and in recent months it attacked Al-Udeid airbase in Qatar after the American attacks on related infrastructure.

The current protests have been centered in the capital but have also reached other urban centers, such as a major city. Merchants have shuttered businesses in solidarity, and activists have taken over campuses. While economic conditions are the central grievance, protesters have also chanted political demands and decried what they said was graft and poor governance.

Government Response Shifts

The head of state, the president, initially invited demonstration organizers, taking a more conciliatory tone than the government did during the previous unrest, which were violently suppressed. He stated that he had ordered the administration to listen to the protesters’ “legitimate demands”.

The recent deaths of protesters, though, suggest that the state are becoming more forceful against the unrest as they continue. A communiqué from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps on recently cautioned that it would take a harsh line against any outside meddling or “internal strife” in the country.

While Tehran deal with internal challenges, it has sought to counter accusations from the United States that it is reconstituting its nuclear programme. Tehran has claimed that it is no longer enriching uranium anywhere in the country and has indicated it is open for negotiations with the international community.