Iran Says US Fully Responsible for Any Protest Intervention

Iran’s Foreign Ministry warned Friday that the United States would bear “full responsibility for the consequences” if it intervenes in ongoing protests inside the country, escalating tensions as demonstrations continue. This follows Trump and Tehran’s top security official hurling warnings early Friday, escalating a crisis already marked by deadly clashes.

“If Iran shots [sic] and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue,” the U.S. president wrote on Truth Social. “We are locked and loaded and ready to go. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Unrest has erupted across Iran as protests over soaring inflation and the collapse of the national currency escalated into violent clashes with security forces. Rights groups and local media report multiple deaths in several provinces, marking the most serious wave of demonstrations in three years.
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"Trump should know that U.S. interference in this internal matter would mean destabilizing the entire region and destroying America’s interests," Ali Larijani, a key adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, wrote in a post on X shortly afterwards. "The American people should know — Trump started this adventurism. They should be mindful of their soldiers’ safety."
Merchants and students have staged shutdowns of bazaars and universities, while the government declared a nationwide holiday on Wednesday, likely to disperse crowds.
At least seven deaths have been reported in Azna, Lordegan, Fuladshahr, and Kouhdasht, though casualty figures vary between state media and rights groups.
The Revolutionary Guards said a 21-year-old Basij paramilitary volunteer was killed in Kouhdasht, with 13 others wounded. Rights group Hengaw identified the dead as a protester, contradicting official claims.
Demonstrations spread to Marvdasht in Fars province, while arrests were reported in Kermanshah, Khuzestan, and Hamedan.
Twenty people were detained in Kouhdasht; seven others were accused of monarchist or foreign ties.
The unrest comes amid 40 percent inflation, a currency collapse with the rial at 1.4 million per U.S. dollar, and lingering effects of Western sanctions and regional airstrikes.
Tehran has offered dialogue with trade unions and merchants but continues to deploy security forces.
Protesters’ chants increasingly target Iran’s theocracy, signaling a shift from economic grievances to political dissent.