Trump’s Threats Escalate iran Tensions as Protests Surge
As Iran grapples with its largest demonstrations since 2022, a direct exchange of threats between U.S. President Donald Trump and top Iranian officials has further inflamed tensions, following American strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June. The escalating situation raises concerns about potential regional instability and the risk of direct confrontation.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – widening protests across Iran, sparked by economic hardship and fueled by anti-government sentiment, have triggered a volatile response from both Washington and Tehran. At least seven peopel have been killed in violence connected to the demonstrations, wich began as a response to the collapse of Iran’s currency, the rial, but have increasingly become a platform for broader discontent.
Trump’s Intervention and Iranian Retaliation
The current crisis was ignited by a post on former President Trump’s Truth Social platform, where he warned Iran that the United States “will come to their rescue” if it “violently kills peaceful protesters.” Trump added, “We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” though he did not provide further details.
This statement drew a swift and forceful response from Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. Larijani alleged on X (formerly Twitter) that the U.S. and Israel were actively working to incite the demonstrations, a claim Iranian officials echoed these sentiments, listing past grievances against the U.S., including the 1953 CIA-backed coup, the 1988 downing of a passenger jet, and the U.S. role in the June conflict.
A Shift in U.S. Policy?
Trump’s direct expression of support for the demonstrators marks a departure from the approach taken by previous American presidents, who frequently enough refrained from publicly backing protests out of concern that activists would be labeled as Western proxies. During the 2009 Green Movement protests in Iran, President Barack Obama later acknowledged that his reluctance to publicly support the demonstrators “was a mistake.” However, direct U.S. support still carries inherent risks.
according to Naysan Rafati, an analyst at the International Crisis Group, “Though the grievances that fuel these and past protests are due to the Iranian government’s own policies, thay are likely to use President Trump’s statement as proof that the unrest is driven by external actors.” He cautioned that “using that as a justification to crack down more violently risks inviting the very U.S. involvement Trump has hinted at.”
Protests Continue and Economic Woes Deepen
Demonstrations continued Friday in Zahedan, a city in Iran’s restive Sistan and Baluchestan province bordering Pakistan. Funerals for demonstrators killed in the recent unrest sparked further marches. Online video purportedly showed mourners confronting security force members attending the funeral of 21-year-old Amirhessam Khodayari, who was killed Wednesday in Kouhdasht.
Adding to the complexity, video footage also showed Khodayari’s father disputing claims by authorities that his son was a member of the Basij force, a paramilitary organization affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. The semiofficial Fars news agency later reported that questions were being raised about the government’s initial assertions.
Iran’s civilian government, led by President Masoud pezeshkian, has attempted to signal a willingness to negotiate with protesters. However, Pezeshkian has acknowledged the limited scope of his authority given the rapid depreciation of the rial, which has plummeted to approximately 1.4 million rials per U.S. dollar – the initial catalyst for the protests.
The protests, rooted in economic hardship, have increasingly included chants against Iran’s theocratic government. Tehran has struggled to stabilize its economy in the wake of the June conflict. Iran recently announced it had ceased uranium enrichment at all sites, a move intended to signal openness to negotiations with the West regarding its nuclear programme and the potential easing of sanctions. Though, these talks remain stalled, as both Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have cautioned Tehran against reconstituting its atomic program.
