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Ex-President Trump has stated he would step in in the Islamic Republic if its government harm protesters, leading to cautionary statements from Iran's leadership that any US intervention would violate a critical boundary.

An Online Statement Fuels Diplomatic Strain

In a online statement on Friday, Trump declared that if the country were to use deadly force against demonstrators, the America would “come to their rescue”. He added, “we are prepared to act,” without explaining what that would involve in reality.

Unrest Enter the Next Phase Against a Backdrop of Economic Crisis

Demonstrations across the nation are now in their latest phase, marking the largest since 2022. The present demonstrations were catalyzed by an sharp drop in the national currency on recently, with its worth falling to about a record depreciation, worsening an already beleaguered economy.

Seven people have been confirmed dead, including a volunteer for the paramilitary organization. Recordings circulate showing officials carrying firearms, with the audio of gunfire present in the video.

Tehran's Officials Issue Firm Rebukes

Addressing the intervention warning, an official, adviser to the country's highest authority, stated that Iran’s national security were a “red line, not material for adventurist tweets”.

“Any external involvement targeting our national security on any excuse will be severed with a forceful retaliation,” he said.

Another senior Iranian official, the secretary of Iran’s supreme national security council, alleged the foreign powers of being involved in the protests, a typical response by officials when addressing protests.

“Trump must realize that foreign interference in this domestic matter will lead to turmoil in the whole region and the harm to US assets,” he wrote. “The public must know that the former president is the one that started this adventure, and they should consider the well-being of their soldiers.”

Recent History of Conflict and Demonstration Scope

Iran has previously warned against foreign forces based in the Middle East in the before, and in recent months it launched strikes on Al-Udeid airbase in the Gulf following the American attacks on related infrastructure.

The present unrest have taken place in Tehran but have also extended to other cities, such as a major city. Business owners have closed their stores in protest, and students have taken over campuses. While financial hardship are the central grievance, protesters have also voiced anti-government slogans and criticized what they said was corruption and mismanagement.

Official Stance Shifts

The head of state, the president, offered talks with representatives, taking a less confrontational approach than the government did during the earlier demonstrations, which were violently suppressed. Pezeshkian noted that he had instructed the administration to listen to the demonstrators' core grievances.

The loss of life of protesters, however, suggest that the state are adopting a tougher stance as they address the unrest as they persist. A statement from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps on recently warned that it would respond forcefully against any foreign interference or “internal strife” in the country.

While Iranian authorities grapple with protests at home, it has attempted to refute accusations from the US that it is rebuilding its nuclear activities. Tehran has said that it is halted enrichment activities domestically and has expressed it is willing to engage in dialogue with the international community.