U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on Friday to come to the aid of protesters in Iran if security forces fire on them, days into unrest that has left several dead and posed the biggest internal threat to Iranian authorities in years.
"We are locked and loaded and ready to go," Trump said in a social media post.
Top Iranian official Ali Larijani responded to Trump's comments warning that U.S. interference in domestic Iranian issues would equal the destabilisation of the whole region. Iran backs groups in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen.
The comments came as a local official in western Iran where several deaths were reported was cited by state media as warning that any unrest or illegal gatherings would be met "decisively and without leniency", raising the likelihood of escalation.
This week's protests over soaring inflation have spread across Iran, with deadly confrontations between demonstrators and security forces focused in the western provinces of Lorestan and Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari.
State-affiliated media and rights groups have reported at least six deaths since Wednesday, including one man who authorities said was a member of the Basij paramilitary affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards.
This week's protests are the biggest in three years, since nationwide demonstrations triggered by the death of a young woman in custody in late 2022 paralysed Iran for weeks, with rights groups reporting hundreds killed.
During the latest unrest, the elected President Masoud Pezeshkian has struck a conciliatory tone, pledging dialogue with protest leaders over the cost-of-living crisis, even as rights groups said security forces had fired on demonstrators.
Speaking on Thursday, before Trump threatened U.S. action, Pezeshkian acknowledged that failings by the authorities were behind the crisis.
"We are to blame... Do not look for America or anyone else to blame. We must serve properly so that people are satisfied with us.... It is us who have to find a solution to these problems," he said.
Pezeshkian's government is attempting a programme of economic liberalisation, but one of its measures, deregulating some currency exchange, has contributed to a sharp decline in the value of Iran's rial on the unofficial market.
The sliding currency has compounded inflation, which has hovered above 36% since March even by official estimates, in an economy battered by Western sanctions over Iran's nuclear programme.
Authorities have detained several individuals in the Lorestan counties of Azna and Delfan, according to media reports, as demonstrations have also been reported in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province.
Fars and Hengaw also reported fatalities in Lordegan in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province. Authorities confirmed one death in Kuhdasht, Lorestan, while Hengaw reported another in the central province of Isfahan.
Tehran has agreed to let the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommence inspections of its nuclear programme, U.S. Vice President JD Vance...
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the China Institute of Sport Science (CISS) have launched a campaign to reach 100 million people in Chin...
Pakistan's latest federal budget has exposed a difficult policy dilemma facing many developing economies: can a country achieve lasting prosperity by ...
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arrived in Brussels for talks with EU leaders as Kazakhstan seeks to expand its partnership with Europe beyond ...
The signing of a historic 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the U.S. and Iran on 17 June has formally ended months of high-intensity ...
Tehran has agreed to let the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommence inspections of its nuclear programme, U.S. Vice President JD Vance has said. The U.S. and Iran have settled on a 60-day roadmap aimed at reaching a final deal, according to mediators Qatar and Pakistan.
The signing of a historic 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the U.S. and Iran on 17 June has formally ended months of high-intensity conflict. Yet despite the agreement, tensions surrounding Lebanon threaten the durability of the fragile peace.
Parts of what are believed to be a Russian surface-to-air missile washed ashore at two locations on Türkiye’s Black Sea coast over the weekend, prompting bomb-disposal operations and security measures.
China responded to Washington on Monday with trade restrictions targeting 56 American companies, in a calibrated response to U.S. measures imposed on Chinese firms earlier this month.
At least thirteen people have died and sixty-six have been injured following an explosion at Qatar's main liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing hub at Ras Laffan, authorities said on Sunday.
Cape Verde’s remarkable FIFA World Cup debut continued on Sunday (21 June) as the tournament newcomers held Uruguay to a 2-2 draw. Goalkeeper Vozinha was once again at the centre of the story, this time with his mother watching from the stands.
Tehran has agreed to let the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommence inspections of its nuclear programme, U.S. Vice President JD Vance has said. The U.S. and Iran have settled on a 60-day roadmap aimed at reaching a final deal, according to mediators Qatar and Pakistan.
A severe heatwave sweeping across much of Europe has led France to restrict alcohol consumption at public events, while Germany issued widespread heat warnings and Spain closed a football fan zone in Madrid.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed on a landmark internet deal that will allow traffic to pass through Azerbaijani networks.It's the latest deal to highlight the ongoing peace process between the two countries.
Tehran has agreed to let the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommence inspections of its nuclear programme, U.S. Vice President JD Vance has said. The U.S. and Iran have settled on a 60-day roadmap aimed at reaching a final deal, according to mediators Qatar and Pakistan.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev arrived in Brussels for talks with EU leaders as Kazakhstan seeks to expand its partnership with Europe beyond energy and raw materials, with a growing focus on technology, connectivity and industrial cooperation.
Parts of what are believed to be a Russian surface-to-air missile washed ashore at two locations on Türkiye’s Black Sea coast over the weekend, prompting bomb-disposal operations and security measures.
At least 12 students have died after a fire broke out in a building in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, authorities said. Most of the victims were teenagers attending an animation centre in the building when the blaze began.
At least thirteen people have died and sixty-six have been injured following an explosion at Qatar's main liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing hub at Ras Laffan, authorities said on Sunday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment