United States President Donald Trump on Friday issued a stark warning to Iran, declaring that Washington is “locked and loaded” to respond if Iranian authorities continue to use lethal force against protesters, as cost-of-living demonstrations across the country turned deadly.
The warning came amid escalating unrest in several Iranian cities, where protests over soaring prices, economic stagnation, and declining living standards have entered a violent phase. Clashes between protesters and security forces on Thursday reportedly left at least six people dead, marking the first confirmed fatalities since the demonstrations intensified.
Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump accused Iran of a pattern of violent repression and warned of U.S. intervention should peaceful protesters be killed.
“If Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue,” Trump wrote.
“We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” he added.
According to Iran’s Fars news agency, two people were killed during clashes in the city of Lordegan, in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, while three others died in Azna, in neighbouring Lorestan province. State television separately reported that a member of Iran’s security forces was killed overnight during unrest in the western city of Kouhdasht, underscoring the growing volatility on both sides.
The protests, initially sparked by economic hardship, have spread beyond isolated demonstrations. In Tehran, shopkeepers shut their businesses on Sunday in a rare strike over high prices and declining purchasing power. Similar actions have since emerged in other cities, reflecting widening frustration with Iran’s economic conditions amid inflation, unemployment, and international sanctions.
While the current demonstrations remain smaller than the mass protests that swept Iran in 2022, analysts say the unrest carries familiar warning signs. That earlier wave was triggered by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a young woman arrested for allegedly violating Iran’s strict dress code for women. Her death ignited nationwide outrage that left several hundred people dead, including dozens of security personnel, and deeply strained Iran’s internal stability.
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Trump’s remarks are likely to heighten tensions between Washington and Tehran at a delicate moment, as the Biden-era diplomatic thaw remains stalled and regional instability continues to ripple across the Middle East. Iranian authorities have yet to officially respond to the U.S. president’s latest comments.
Human rights groups have repeatedly urged Iranian security forces to exercise restraint and respect the right to peaceful protest, warning that further bloodshed could deepen domestic unrest and international isolation.
As demonstrations persist and rhetoric sharpens, the situation remains fluid, with both Iranians and the international community watching closely to see whether the unrest escalates further or opens a new flashpoint in already strained U.S.–Iran relations.