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Ex-President Trump has stated he would step in in Iran should its government use lethal force against demonstrators, prompting warnings from senior Iranian officials that any US intervention would overstep a definitive limit.

A Public Statement Escalates Diplomatic Strain

In a social media post on Friday, the former president said that if the country were to shoot and kill demonstrators, the US would “intervene on their behalf”. He further stated, “we are locked and loaded, and ready to go,” without clarifying what that might mean in actual terms.

Protests Continue into the Next Phase Against a Backdrop of Economic Crisis

Demonstrations across the nation are now in their second week, constituting the most significant in several years. The ongoing protests were triggered by an unprecedented decline in the Iranian rial on Sunday, with its worth falling to about 1.4m to the US dollar, worsening an existing financial crisis.

Multiple individuals have been lost their lives, among them a member of the paramilitary organization. Recordings reportedly show officials armed with firearms, with the noise of discharges present in the recordings.

Iranian Leaders Deliver Stark Rebukes

In response to Trump’s threat, Ali Shamkhani, counselor for the country's highest authority, cautioned that Iran’s national security were a “definitive boundary, not material for online provocations”.

“Any external involvement targeting Iran security on pretexts will be met with a regret-inducing response,” Shamkhani posted.

A separate high-ranking figure, a key security official, alleged the foreign powers of orchestrating the unrest, a common refrain by the government in response to domestic dissent.

“The US should understand that foreign interference in this domestic matter will lead to instability across the Middle East and the harm to Washington's stakes,” the official stated. “US citizens must know that the former president is the one that initiated this provocation, and they should pay attention to the well-being of their military personnel.”

Recent History of Tensions and Demonstration Scale

The nation has vowed to strike American soldiers stationed in the region in the before, and in June it launched strikes on Al-Udeid airbase in the Gulf after the US struck related infrastructure.

The present unrest have taken place in the capital but have also spread to other cities, such as Isfahan. Shopkeepers have closed their stores in solidarity, and activists have gathered on university grounds. Though financial hardship are the primary complaint, protesters have also voiced calls for change and condemned what they said was failures by officials.

Official Stance Evolves

The nation's leader, Masoud Pezeshkian, first called for protest leaders, taking a softer stance than authorities did during the earlier demonstrations, which were met with force. The president said that he had instructed the government to listen to the protesters’ “legitimate demands”.

The loss of life of protesters, however, suggest that the state are becoming more forceful against the unrest as they continue. A statement from the state security apparatus on recently cautioned that it would take a harsh line against any outside meddling or “unrest” in the country.

While Tehran deal with protests at home, it has tried to stave off allegations from the US that it is reconstituting its atomic ambitions. Officials has stated that it is halted enrichment activities anywhere in the country and has expressed it is willing to engage in negotiations with the west.