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Ex-President Trump has warned of involvement in Iran should its government use lethal force against protesters, prompting admonishments from senior Iranian officials that any American interference would cross a “red line”.

A Public Post Escalates Tensions

Through a social media post on Friday, Trump declared that if Iran were to fire upon protesters, the US would “step in to help”. He added, “our response is imminent,” without clarifying what that could entail in actual terms.

Protests Continue into the Sixth Day Amid Economic Turmoil

Demonstrations across the nation are now in their second week, marking the largest in recent memory. The current unrest were sparked by an sharp drop in the national currency on recently, with its worth dropping to about a historic low, further exacerbating an existing financial crisis.

Several citizens have been lost their lives, among them a volunteer for the state-affiliated group. Videos circulate showing law enforcement armed with shotguns, with the noise of discharges present in the video.

Iranian Leaders Issue Firm Rebukes

Reacting to the intervention warning, a top adviser, adviser to the country's highest authority, cautioned that Iran’s national security were a “non-negotiable limit, not material for adventurist tweets”.

“Any foreign interference approaching our national security on false pretenses will be severed with a forceful retaliation,” the official said.

A separate high-ranking figure, Ali Larijani, claimed the foreign powers of having a hand in the demonstrations, a typical response by Tehran in response to domestic dissent.

“Trump must realize that US intervention in this domestic matter will lead to instability across the entire area and the harm to American interests,” Larijani declared. “The American people must know that Trump is the one that started this adventure, and they should pay attention to the well-being of their troops.”

Context of Strain and Protest Scope

The nation has vowed to strike American soldiers deployed in the Middle East in the before, and in recent months it attacked a facility in the Gulf following the American attacks on related infrastructure.

The present unrest have occurred in Tehran but have also spread to other cities, such as a major city. Shopkeepers have shuttered businesses in protest, and students have gathered on campuses. While economic conditions are the central grievance, demonstrators have also chanted anti-government slogans and condemned what they said was graft and poor governance.

Official Stance Changes

The Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, offered talks with demonstration organizers, taking a softer stance than the government did during the earlier demonstrations, which were put down harshly. The president noted that he had instructed the administration to listen to the demonstrators' core grievances.

The loss of life of demonstrators, though, could signal that officials are adopting a tougher stance against the protests as they persist. A communiqué from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps on Monday stated that it would act decisively against any external involvement or “internal strife” in the country.

While the government face domestic dissent, it has tried to stave off allegations from the United States that it is rebuilding its atomic ambitions. Iran has claimed that it is no longer enriching uranium domestically and has signaled it is ready for talks with the west.