Trump Warns of Intervention in Iran Over Protests – L’Express

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that the United States was ready to intervene to defend protesters in Iran in the event of violent repression by the authorities in Tehran. “We are ready to intervene,” the US president said in a message published on Truth Social. The United States struck nuclear facilities in Iran last June, joining Israel in a brief war against Tehran.

This American position comes as several people were killed Thursday in Iran during unrest linked to the largest demonstrations in three years, triggered by exponential inflation – 42.5% in December. The protest movement was triggered by traders, who marched through the streets of Tehran on Sunday to denounce the scourge of inflation and its management by the government.

“Destabilization of the region”

In several provinces of the country, demonstrations took a violent turn. A local official in western Iran, where several deaths have been reported, warned that any unrest or illegal gatherings would be dealt with “decisively and without leniency”, according to comments reported by state media. State-affiliated media and human rights groups have reported at least six deaths since Wednesday, including a man who authorities say was a member of the Bassij, a militia affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards. The Hengaw Group, a Kurdish human rights NGO based in Norway, said 29 protesters were arrested during the latest wave of demonstrations, including 14 Kurds, seven Lors (a Persian-related minority), seven women and two children.

Responding to Donald Trump’s comments, Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, warned that US interference in Iran’s internal affairs would be tantamount to destabilizing the entire region. Iran supports armed groups in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen.

The surge in prices is fueled by the collapse of the national currency. The rial is falling under the effect of Western sanctions against the Iranian economy and has lost almost half of its value in one year. It reached a record low of 1,400,000 rials per dollar on Tuesday, according to figures aggregated by online platforms.

Speaking on Thursday, before Donald Trump’s remarks, Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian acknowledged that the failures of the authorities were at the origin of the crisis. “We are responsible… Don’t try to blame the United States or anyone else. We must serve properly so that people are happy with us… It is up to us to find a solution to these problems,” he said.