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Donald Trump has warned of involvement in Iran should its regime kill protesters, leading to admonishments from senior Iranian officials that any American interference would cross a “red line”.

A Public Post Ignites Tensions

In a public declaration on recently, the former president declared that if the country were to use deadly force against demonstrators, the US would “step in to help”. He further stated, “we are prepared to act,” without detailing what that would involve in practice.

Demonstrations Enter the Sixth Day Amid Financial Turmoil

Demonstrations across the nation are now in their latest phase, marking the largest since 2022. The ongoing protests were sparked by an unprecedented decline in the national currency on Sunday, with its value plummeting to about a record depreciation, worsening an already beleaguered economy.

Seven people have been reported killed, including a volunteer for the state-affiliated group. Footage have shown officials carrying shotguns, with the sound of shooting heard in the background.

Iranian Leaders Deliver Firm Warnings

In response to the intervention warning, a top adviser, counselor for the country's highest authority, cautioned that internal matters were a “non-negotiable limit, not a subject for online provocations”.

“Any foreign interference targeting our national security on false pretenses will be severed with a forceful retaliation,” the official said.

Another leader, a key security official, alleged the outside actors of having a hand in the demonstrations, a frequent accusation by officials when addressing protests.

“Trump must realize that US intervention in this internal issue will lead to instability across the whole region and the harm to Washington's stakes,” he wrote. “The public must know that the former president is the one that initiated this provocation, and they should be concerned for the well-being of their soldiers.”

Recent History of Strain and Protest Scale

Tehran has vowed to strike foreign forces deployed in the region in the before, and in June it launched strikes on Al-Udeid airbase in the Gulf following the American attacks on Iranian nuclear enrichment sites.

The ongoing demonstrations have been centered in Tehran but have also spread to other cities, such as Isfahan. Business owners have shuttered businesses in solidarity, and students have taken over campuses. While the currency crisis are the primary complaint, protesters have also voiced anti-government slogans and decried what they said was graft and poor governance.

Presidential Approach Shifts

The Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, initially invited representatives, adopting a softer stance than authorities did during the 2022 protests, which were violently suppressed. He noted that he had directed the administration to listen to the demonstrators' core grievances.

The fatalities of demonstrators, could, may indicate that officials are adopting a tougher stance as they address the protests as they continue. A communiqué from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps on Monday warned that it would act decisively against any foreign interference or “unrest” in the country.

While the government grapple with internal challenges, it has tried to stave off claims from the US that it is rebuilding its atomic ambitions. Iran has claimed that it is no longer enriching uranium domestically and has expressed it is ready for negotiations with the international community.