US President Donald Trump has warned Iran's authorities against killing peaceful protesters, saying Washington will come to their rescue.
In a brief post on social media, he wrote: We are locked and loaded and ready to go, but gave no further details.
A senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded by saying Trump should be careful if he intervened, warning of the potential for chaos across the Middle East.
At least eight people are reported to have been killed in Iran after almost a week of mass protests sparked by worsening economic conditions.
In a Friday post on Truth Social, Trump added, If Iran shots [sic] and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. No specific actions from Washington were detailed.
In June, the US conducted strikes against Iran's nuclear sites under Trump's orders, which officials claimed set back Tehran's nuclear weapon ambitions—claims disputed by Iran. In retaliation, Iran launched a missile attack on a US military base in Qatar.
Following Trump's latest social media statement, Ali Larijani, a Khamenei adviser, warned that US interference in Iran's internal matters would destabilize the region and threaten America's interests.
However, some protesters seem to welcome US intervention. A Tehran protester mentioned that security forces are intimidated by statements from Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.
%Local incidents have seen eight reported fatalities tied to these protests, with varying accounts of those killed—some identified as civilians, others as security personnel.
The demonstrations began in Tehran, ignited by economic dissatisfaction and quickly spread to other cities, with protestors calling for the end of the clerical regime. Despite the backlash from officials, President Masoud Pezeshkian has asserted his commitment to addressing the protesters' grievances.
