 "‘Intervention will lead to chaos’: Iran responds to Trump threat over protests")
Responding to US President Donald Trump’s warning over the ongoing protests in Iran, senior Iranian officials on Friday cautioned that any US interference would trigger instability across the region, as tensions between Washington and Tehran escalated further.
Trump warned on his Truth Social platform that if Iran “violently kills peaceful protesters”, the US would “come to their rescue”.
“We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” he wrote, without providing further details. Iranian officials strongly rejected the warning. Ali Larijani, former parliament speaker and secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, alleged on X that the US and Israel were stoking the protests, though he offered no evidence.
مع تصريحات المسؤولين الإسرائيليين و @realDonaldTrump، أصبح ما كان يجري خلف الكواليس واضحًا. نميّز بين موقف التجار المحتجّين وأعمال العناصر المُخرِّبة، وعلى ترامب أن يدرك أن تدخّل الولايات المتحدة في هذا الشأن الداخلي سيؤدي إلى زعزعة استقرار المنطقة بأكملها وتدمير المصالح… pic.twitter.com/QPIp8pJ8Xl
— Ali Larijani | علی لاریجانی (@alilarijani_ir) January 2, 2026
He warned that US intervention would lead to “chaos in the entire region” and harm American interests, adding that the US public should be aware of the risks to its soldiers deployed across the Middle East.
Larijani’s remarks appeared to reference the US military presence in the region. In June, Iran had attacked the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar following US strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites during Israel’s 12-day conflict with Tehran.
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View AllAli Shamkhani, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also issued a warning, saying any intervention threatening Iran’s security would be met with force.
Meanwhile, protests across Iran have left at least seven people dead amid clashes between security forces and demonstrators since unrest began on Sunday.
The demonstrations were initially triggered by public anger over worsening economic conditions, including a sharp fall in the national currency, weak economic growth and rising prices. Official figures show inflation rose to 42.5 per cent in December.
The protests began in Tehran, where shopkeepers took to the streets, and later intensified after students from at least ten universities joined the demonstrations. Markets were shut in several cities, while authorities declared a public holiday due to cold weather, effectively bringing much of the country to a standstill.
Over the past 24 hours, protests have spread to multiple provinces, with some gatherings turning violent, CNN reported. Iran’s Fars news agency said protesters clashed with police, hurled stones and torched vehicles, adding that some armed “disturbers” exploited the gatherings. Authorities later seized firearms from several individuals.
Iran’s civilian government, led by President Masoud Pezeshkian, has signalled openness to dialogue with protesters. The country’s economy, however, has been under prolonged strain due to US and western sanctions linked to its nuclear programme, a situation worsened by regional tensions and the recent conflict with Israel.
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