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The former president has warned of involvement in Iran should its regime kill demonstrators, prompting admonishments from Iran's leadership that any US intervention would overstep a definitive limit.

A Public Post Fuels Diplomatic Strain

In a public declaration on Friday, Trump declared that if Iran were to fire upon demonstrators, the US would “step in to help”. He further stated, “our response is imminent,” without detailing what that would involve in actual terms.

Unrest Continue into the New Week Against a Backdrop of Economic Turmoil

Public unrest are now in their second week, constituting the largest in recent memory. The current unrest were sparked by an steep fall in the Iranian rial on recently, with its value plummeting to about 1.4m to the US dollar, worsening an already beleaguered economy.

Multiple individuals have been reported killed, including a member of the paramilitary organization. Footage reportedly show law enforcement carrying firearms, with the noise of discharges heard in the video.

National Leaders Deliver Stark Warnings

In response to the intervention warning, an official, counselor for the supreme leader, stated that Iran’s national security were a “non-negotiable limit, not fodder for adventurist tweets”.

“Any foreign interference nearing Iran security on pretexts will be met with a swift consequence,” the official wrote.

Another senior Iranian official, a key security official, alleged the foreign powers of orchestrating the protests, a frequent accusation by Tehran when addressing domestic dissent.

“Trump must realize that US intervention in this national affair will lead to destabilisation of the Middle East and the damage to Washington's stakes,” he declared. “US citizens must know that Trump is the one that started this adventure, and they should be concerned for the safety of their military personnel.”

Recent History of Tensions and Demonstration Scale

Iran has previously warned against foreign forces deployed in the region in the past, and in recent months it launched strikes on Al-Udeid airbase in Qatar after the US struck Iranian nuclear enrichment sites.

The current protests have been centered in the capital but have also reached other cities, such as a major city. Merchants have shuttered businesses in protest, and youth have gathered on university grounds. Though financial hardship are the central grievance, demonstrators have also voiced political demands and condemned what they said was corruption and mismanagement.

Official Response Evolves

The Iranian president, the president, first called for protest leaders, taking a softer stance than authorities did during the 2022 protests, which were met with force. Pezeshkian said that he had ordered the administration to listen to the people's valid concerns.

The fatalities of protesters, could, suggest that officials are adopting a tougher stance against the protests as they persist. A announcement from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps on Monday stated that it would respond forcefully against any external involvement or “internal strife” in the country.

As Iranian authorities face domestic dissent, it has tried to stave off accusations from the United States that it is reviving its nuclear programme. Iran has said that it is ceased such work domestically and has expressed it is open for dialogue with the international community.