On Friday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned what it called “meddlesome and deceptive” comments by U.S. officials about Iran’s internal situation, accusing Washington of trying to stoke unrest rather than support Iranians. Issuing a statement, the ministry said Iran’s constitution recognizes peaceful protests and said the government should address what it called legitimate public demands within the law, while also blaming U.S. sanctions for worsening economic hardship.
In a statement, it argued that U.S. pressure is not only economic, describing it as a mix of media and psychological operations, threats of military intervention, and incitement to violence. It also pointed to past U.S. as it described as interference in Iran, and said international institutions should defend national sovereignty and oppose outside intervention. In the same statement.It also pointed to past U.S. actions and it described as interference in Iran, and said international institutions should defend national sovereignty and oppose outside intervention.
U.S. President Donald Trump issued a warning on Friday, Jan. 2, saying the United States would step in if Iranian authorities “shoot and violently kill peaceful protesters,” according to Truth Social. In that post, Trump wrote that the U.S. is “locked and loaded and ready to go.” Reuters reported that Trump’s remarks came days into unrest that had left “several dead,” and described the protests as the biggest internal threat to Iran’s leaders in years.
Reuters reported that the demonstrations had grown into Iran’s most significant protests in at least three years, with authorities imposing a broad communications shutdown and security forces moving to suppress crowds, also reported that rights groups said at least 62 people had been killed, including protesters and security forces, while noting the figures could not be independently verified. Reuters reported that Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s former shah, posted messages backing protesters and urging them to continue.
International reaction has sharpened. France, the United Kingdom and Germany said they were “deeply concerned” by reported violence and condemned the killing of protesters, urging Iranian authorities to allow peaceful expression and assembly, according to a statement released by Élysée. Reuters also reported that a U.N. spokesperson said people have a right to demonstrate peacefully and governments have a responsibility to protect that right.
