Iran’s Parliament Speaker on Friday delivered a strong warning to the United States, saying that if Washington takes aggressive military steps, US bases and forces across the region would be treated as “legitimate targets”. His statement came soon after US President Donald Trump threatened to step in over the growing protests inside Iran.
Just hours earlier, a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had also cautioned that any US involvement in Iran’s internal affairs would create instability across the entire Middle East.
Trump had earlier released a tough message, saying the United States would intervene if Iranian authorities used deadly force against peaceful protesters during the ongoing nationwide demonstrations.
Deaths reported as protests spread
Iran has been witnessing widespread protests since Sunday, with clashes breaking out between demonstrators and security forces. At least seven people have died so far in the violence.
These protests reflect growing public frustration over Iran’s worsening economic situation. People are angry about rising prices, falling incomes and a weak national currency that has made daily life more difficult.
The unrest first began in Tehran. Shopkeepers there gathered to criticise how the government handled the sharp fall of the rial, slow economic growth and the rising cost of basic goods. Official government data shows that inflation climbed to 42.5 per cent in December, making food and essentials much more expensive.
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Iranian government’s response to the protests
Iran’s civilian government, led by President Masoud Pezeshkian, has tried to present itself as open to listening to people’s concerns.
“From an Islamic perspective… if we do not resolve the issue of people’s livelihoods, we will end up in Hell,” he said during an event broadcast on state television.
However, Pezeshkian has admitted that the government has limited tools to control the situation. Iran’s currency has dropped sharply, with one US dollar now worth around 1.4 million rials.
Meanwhile, Iran’s prosecutor general said on Wednesday that peaceful economic protests are acceptable, but warned that any attempt to create unrest or insecurity would face a “decisive response”.