Donald Trump issued a strong statement on social media on Friday, warning that the US would intervene if Iran “shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters”. POTUS claimed the US was “locked, loaded and ready to go.”
“If Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, as is their wont, 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! President DONALD J. TRUMP,” POTUS posted on Truth Social.
Trump’s warning comes after several people died as Iran’s biggest protests in three years over economic woes turned violent across many provinces – as rallies spread to other cities across the country, including the spiritual stronghold of Qom.
Iran protests
At least seven people have been killed in Iran in clashes between security forces and protesters that have gripped demonstrations since Sunday.
The protests, which began in the capital Tehran, initially saw traders take to the streets to express anger at the government’s handling of the currency’s steep decline, prolonged economic stagnation and soaring inflation. Inflation rose to 42.5% in December, official data showed.
On Thursday, January 1, Iran’s Fars news agency reported that two people were killed in clashes between security forces and protesters in the city of Lordegan – which lies in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province – while three were killed in Azna – in neighboring Lorestan province.
State television reported earlier that a member of the Iranian security forces was also killed during protests in the western Iranian city of Kouhdasht overnight.
Iran’s economy has struggled for years since the US reimposed sanctions in 2018 after Trump pulled out of the international nuclear deal during his first term.
How has the Iranian rial fallen against the dollar?
Iran’s national currency, the rial, has lost more than a third of its value against the US dollar over the past year. Years of inflation have steadily eroded purchasing power, leaving many Iranians struggling with rising costs of daily necessities.
Iran’s civilian government, led by President Masoud Pezeshkian, has tried to signal a willingness to deal with the protesters. But he reportedly said his options were limited because the rial had fallen sharply, with one dollar now worth about 1.4 million rials.
