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Ex-President Trump has threatened to intervene in Iran if its regime use lethal force against protesters, leading to warnings from Iran's leadership that any US intervention would violate a critical boundary.

An Online Statement Escalates Tensions

Through a online statement on recently, the former president declared that if Iran were to fire upon protesters, the United States would “step in to help”. He noted, “our response is imminent,” without detailing what that could entail in practice.

Protests Enter the New Week Amid Economic Crisis

Public unrest are now in their sixth day, constituting the most significant in recent memory. The present demonstrations were triggered by an steep fall in the national currency on recently, with its worth falling to about 1.4m to the US dollar, further exacerbating an existing financial crisis.

Seven people have been confirmed dead, among them a member of the Basij security force. Videos have shown security forces carrying shotguns, with the noise of discharges audible in the recordings.

National Officials Deliver Stark Warnings

In response to Trump’s threat, Ali Shamkhani, adviser to the country's highest authority, warned that Iran’s national security were a “red line, not fodder for online provocations”.

“Any external involvement approaching our national security on false pretenses will be severed with a swift consequence,” he wrote.

A separate high-ranking figure, a key security official, accused the outside actors of orchestrating the protests, a common refrain by Tehran in response to protests.

“Washington needs to know that US intervention in this internal issue will lead to destabilisation of the whole region and the damage to Washington's stakes,” Larijani stated. “US citizens must know that Trump is the one that started this adventure, and they should consider the well-being of their troops.”

Recent History of Strain and Protest Scope

Iran has threatened to target American soldiers based in the Middle East in the before, and in June it attacked Al-Udeid airbase in Qatar following the American attacks on related infrastructure.

The current protests have been centered in Tehran but have also reached other cities, such as Isfahan. Shopkeepers have closed their stores in solidarity, and activists have gathered on campuses. While financial hardship are the main issue, protesters have also chanted anti-government slogans and condemned what they said was failures by officials.

Presidential Stance Evolves

The Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, offered talks with representatives, adopting a less confrontational approach than the government did during the previous unrest, which were put down harshly. The president noted that he had ordered the government to listen to the demonstrators' core grievances.

The loss of life of demonstrators, though, could signal that the state are becoming more forceful against the protests as they continue. A communiqué from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps on recently stated that it would respond forcefully against any external involvement or “internal strife” in the country.

As Tehran grapple with protests at home, it has tried to stave off accusations from the United States that it is reviving its nuclear activities. Officials has stated that it is ceased such work at present and has expressed it is open for negotiations with the west.