President Donald Trump warned Iran on Friday that the United States would step in if Iranian authorities “shoot and violently kill peaceful protesters,” according to Truth Social.
“We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” Trump wrote.
The message came as Iran faces its biggest protests in three years, with clashes reported in multiple provinces and several deaths.
Reuters reported the unrest began as largely peaceful demonstrations tied to economic hardship, including anger over a sharp slide in the currency and rapidly rising prices. The protests broadened after shopkeepers started demonstrating earlier this week, and the situation escalated as confrontations broke out between protesters and security forces, Reuters said.
Trump did not outline what “rescue” would mean in practical terms, and his post did not cite any imminent U.S. military move.
Iran’s government had not immediately responded publicly to Trump’s remarks in the post itself.
