Iranian protests have been going on since Sunday, and at least seven people have died as a result of fighting between security forces and demonstrators.
In a sharply worded social media tweet on Friday, Donald Trump threatened to step in if Iran "shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters." The US is "locked, loaded, and ready to go," according to the president.
"The United States of America will defend peaceful protestors if Iran shoots and brutally kills them, as is their tradition. We're loaded, locked, and prepared to go. I appreciate you taking the time to consider this. President Donald J. Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump's warning comes after several people were killed during Iran's worst protests in three years over economic hardship, which descended into violence in several provinces and expanded to other towns throughout the nation, including the clerical bastion of Qom.
Key Points of the Iranian demonstrations Iranian protests have been raging since Sunday, and at least seven people have died in conflicts between security personnel and demonstrators.
Shopkeepers first took to the streets to protest the government's handling of a sharp decline in the value of the currency, protracted economic stagnation, and skyrocketing inflation. The protests started in Tehran, the country's capital. According to official data, inflation increased to 42.5% in December.
Iran's Fars news agency said on Thursday, January 1, that three people were killed in Azna, in the neighboring province of Lorestan, and two people were killed in skirmishes between security forces and protestors in the city of Lordegan, which is located in the province of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari.
A member of Iran's security forces was also slain overnight amid protests in the western city of Kouhdasht, according to earlier reports on state television.
Reza Pahlavi, the exiled prince of Iran, honored those slain during the demonstrations. Pahlavu called them "true heroes of this land" and called on Iranians to stick together. "Reclaiming the country" is the bravery of the demonstrators, he said. "Remain unified. We'll win," he wrote on X.
https://x.com/PahlaviReza/status/2006938249701323099?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2006938249701323099%7Ctwgr%5Ee1053583e68150800e159012eb1aadbe4d6b6856%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.livemint.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Ftrump-sends-strong-warning-to-iran-as-7-killed-in-protests-sparked-by-ailing-economy-loaded-and-ready-to-go-11767343042584.html
Since the US reinstated sanctions in 2018 following Trump's withdrawal from an international nuclear accord during his first term, Iran's economy has suffered for years.
How did the Iranian rial decline in value relative to the US dollar?
Over the past year, the value of Iran's national currency, the rial, has decreased by more than one-third in relation to the US dollar. Many Iranians are finding it difficult to deal with the growing expense of daily necessities as a result of years of inflation that have gradually reduced their purchasing power.
President Masoud Pezeshkian's civilian administration in Iran has made an effort to show that it is prepared to interact with demonstrators. He allegedly stated that his alternatives are restricted because the value of the rial has drastically decreased, with one dollar now costing roughly 1.4 million rials.
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