US President Donald Trump warned that Washington would respond militarily if Iranian authorities killed demonstrators, as anti-regime protests spread across multiple cities in Iran and have already become deadly.
In a post on Truth Social, President Trump said the United States was prepared to act if protesters were harmed by the Iranian government. “If Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue,” he wrote. “We are locked and loaded and ready to go. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
The warning came amid reports that four people were killed on Wednesday and Thursday during protests in several Iranian cities. The demonstrations are part of a broader wave of unrest in opposition to the Islamic Republic’s leadership.
Iranian officials rejected President Trump’s remarks, framing them as a threat to national security. Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, responded on X, saying: “Any interventionist hand that attacks Iran’s security under any pretext whatsoever will be exposed to a response. Iran’s security is a red line.”
The exchange followed a recent meeting between President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, where the two discussed Iran’s military capabilities and the possibility of further action to prevent Tehran from restoring its ballistic missile and nuclear programs.
Both leaders have described the 12-day confrontation with Iran in June as a significant success, while Netanyahu has indicated that additional strikes could still be necessary if Iran attempts to rebuild its capabilities. President Trump, speaking after the meeting, said the United States would again dismantle Iran’s nuclear program if Tehran moves to restore it, while also expressing a preference for reaching a negotiated nuclear agreement.
A US official said President Trump would likely support a “second round” of strikes if Washington determines that Iran is taking concrete and verifiable steps to revive its nuclear program, though disagreements over how to define such reconstitution could complicate decision-making.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also responded to news of the talks, warning against any future attacks. “Answer of Islamic Republic of Iran to any cruel aggression will be harsh and discouraging,” he wrote on X.
