Trump Issues Strong Warning to Iran Over Violence Against Protesters
US President Donald Trump has warned that the United States will step in to ‘rescue’ peaceful protesters in Iran if they are shot at or violently killed. He made the remarks on Friday (January 2), according to British news agency Reuters.
In a post on the social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote that if Iran follows its long-standing practice of opening fire on peaceful protesters and killing them violently, the United States will come forward to rescue them.
He further wrote that the US is fully armed and ready (“locked and loaded”) and prepared to take action at any time.
Iran has witnessed its largest protests in the past three years due to an economic crisis. The movement, which has spread across various provinces of the country, has turned violent, resulting in the deaths of several people. Trump’s strong warning came amid this situation.
Shopkeepers and traders in Iran began a strike from last Sunday in protest against government economic mismanagement, the rapid devaluation of the national currency, and the abnormal rise in the prices of essential commodities. The protests later spread to multiple provinces of the country.
As clashes erupted between protesters and security forces, the situation deteriorated sharply, creating major instability across the country.
In 2018, during his first term, Donald Trump withdrew from the international nuclear agreement and reimposed sanctions on Iran. Since then, Iran’s economy has been going through a prolonged crisis. In recent years, inflation and economic recession have intensified further, prompting ordinary people to take to the streets in protest.
