Iranian officials have issued a stern rebuke of former US President Donald Trump’s offer to intervene in ongoing domestic protests, labeling his statements as dangerously irresponsible. The diplomatic clash emerged after Trump posted on social media that US forces were “locked and loaded and ready to go” should Iranian authorities move against peaceful demonstrators.
Iran’s Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas Araghchi responded via social media platform X, asserting that “Iran will forcefully reject any interference in their internal affairs.” Drawing parallels to US domestic policy, Araghchi noted that Trump should understand from his own deployment of National Guard troops that attacks on public property cannot be tolerated.
The exchange occurs against a backdrop of significant civil unrest that has spread across multiple Iranian cities. According to various reports, at least eight fatalities have occurred during week-long demonstrations that began with shopkeepers protesting the Iranian currency’s sharp devaluation against the US dollar. The protests have since expanded to include university students and citizens chanting against the country’s clerical leadership.
Iranian police spokesman General Saeed Montazerolmahdi stated that security forces would prevent “enemies” from transforming “unrest into chaos,” while President Masoud Pezeshkian acknowledged he would listen to “legitimate demands” of protesters. Simultaneously, Prosecutor-General Mohammad Movahedi-Azad warned that instability attempts would meet a “decisive response.”
In a significant diplomatic move, Iran’s UN Ambassador Amir-Saeid Iravani formally requested the UN Security Council condemn Trump’s statements, warning that the US would bear “full responsibility for any consequences arising from these unlawful threats.” The current protests represent the most widespread demonstrations since the 2022 uprising sparked by Mahsa Amini’s death in custody, though on a smaller scale.