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Donald Trump has warned of involvement in Iran should its regime harm demonstrators, leading to cautionary statements from senior Iranian officials that any American interference would overstep a definitive limit.

A Public Declaration Escalates Tensions

Via a online statement on Friday, the former president said that if Iran were to fire upon protesters, the US would “intervene on their behalf”. He further stated, “our response is imminent,” without detailing what that would involve in actual terms.

Protests Enter the Sixth Day Amid Financial Crisis

Protests in Iran are now in their second week, constituting the largest since 2022. The ongoing protests were sparked by an unprecedented decline in the Iranian rial on recently, with its value plummeting to about 1.4m to the US dollar, worsening an precarious economic situation.

Several citizens have been lost their lives, including a volunteer for the state-affiliated group. Recordings have shown law enforcement carrying firearms, with the audio of gunfire audible in the recordings.

Tehran's Leaders Issue Stark Responses

In response to the statement, a top adviser, adviser to the country's highest authority, stated that internal matters were a “non-negotiable limit, not fodder for adventurist tweets”.

“Any foreign interference targeting our national security on false pretenses will be met with a regret-inducing response,” Shamkhani wrote.

Another senior Iranian official, a key security official, accused the US and Israel of being involved in the protests, a frequent accusation by the government when addressing domestic dissent.

“Washington needs to know that American involvement in this internal issue will lead to destabilisation of the Middle East and the harm to American interests,” the official stated. “The American people must know that Trump is the one that initiated this provocation, and they should be concerned for the safety of their troops.”

Background of Tensions and Protest Scale

Iran has previously warned against US troops based in the Middle East in the past, and in recent months it attacked a facility in Qatar after the US struck related infrastructure.

The present unrest have occurred in the capital but have also extended to other urban centers, such as a major city. Shopkeepers have gone on strike in protest, and youth have gathered on campuses. While financial hardship are the central grievance, demonstrators have also voiced political demands and condemned what they said was corruption and mismanagement.

Official Approach Shifts

The head of state, Masoud Pezeshkian, first called for representatives, taking a softer stance than the government did during the 2022 protests, which were put down harshly. He stated that he had instructed the administration to listen to the people's valid concerns.

The loss of life of protesters, though, could signal that the state are taking a harder line as they address the protests as they continue. A announcement from the powerful military force on recently warned that it would respond forcefully against any external involvement or “unrest” in the country.

While Iranian authorities grapple with internal challenges, it has sought to counter claims from the United States that it is reconstituting its nuclear programme. Tehran has claimed that it is ceased such work domestically and has expressed it is open for dialogue with the west.