- the situation has once again drawn international attention to Iran’s internal challenges
- He accused Iranian authorities of using violence as a routine response to dissent
- The strike later spread beyond the capital, drawing wider public participation and attracting a heavy security response
United States President Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to Iran, declaring that Washington is prepared to act if Iranian authorities continue the violent suppression of protesters amid rising economic unrest.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the warning followed fresh clashes between demonstrators and security operatives in several Iranian cities, where at least six people were reportedly killed, marking the first fatalities since the latest round of protests intensified.
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The protests, which began as cost-of-living demonstrations, escalated after traders in Tehran shut their shops in protest against soaring prices, inflation and prolonged economic hardship.
The strike later spread beyond the capital, drawing wider public participation and attracting a heavy security response.
Reacting on his Truth Social platform on Friday, Trump said the United States would not stand by if peaceful protesters were harmed.
He accused Iranian authorities of using violence as a routine response to dissent and warned that America was fully prepared to intervene if the killings continued.
“If Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue,” Trump wrote. He added that the U.S. was “locked and loaded and ready to go.”
Meanwhile, Iran’s Fars News Agency confirmed that two people lost their lives during clashes in Lordegan, located in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, while three others were killed in Azna, in neighbouring Lorestan province.
State television also reported that a member of Iran’s security forces died overnight during confrontations in the western city of Kouhdasht.
Although the current protests are said to be smaller in scale, observers have drawn comparisons with the nationwide unrest of 2022, which erupted after the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody over an alleged dress code violation. That wave of demonstrations led to hundreds of deaths, including civilians and security personnel.
As tensions continue to simmer, the situation has once again drawn international attention to Iran’s internal challenges and the growing pressure on its leadership amid worsening economic conditions.
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