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The former president has stated he would step in in Iran should its regime use lethal force against demonstrators, leading to admonishments from senior Iranian officials that any American interference would overstep a definitive limit.

A Social Media Declaration Fuels Tensions

Through a social media post on recently, Trump said that if Iran were to use deadly force against demonstrators, the United States would “intervene on their behalf”. He further stated, “our response is imminent,” without explaining what that would involve in practice.

Protests Continue into the Sixth Day Against a Backdrop of Financial Turmoil

Public unrest are now in their latest phase, constituting the largest in recent memory. The present demonstrations were triggered by an sharp drop in the Iranian rial on recently, with its worth plummeting to about a record depreciation, further exacerbating an already beleaguered economy.

Seven people have been reported killed, including a volunteer for the Basij security force. Recordings reportedly show security forces carrying firearms, with the sound of shooting heard in the video.

Iranian Leaders Deliver Stark Rebukes

In response to Trump’s threat, an official, adviser to the country's highest authority, warned that Iran’s national security were a “red line, not fodder for adventurist tweets”.

“Any intervening hand approaching our national security on any excuse will be severed with a forceful retaliation,” he wrote.

Another leader, the secretary of Iran’s supreme national security council, claimed the outside actors of being involved in the protests, a typical response by Tehran in response to domestic dissent.

“The US should understand that foreign interference in this domestic matter will lead to destabilisation of the whole region and the damage to Washington's stakes,” he wrote. “The American people 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 Conflict and Demonstration Nature

Iran has vowed to strike US troops deployed in the Middle East in the past, and in June it attacked a facility in Qatar following the American attacks on its nuclear facilities.

The present unrest have taken place in Tehran but have also spread to other cities, such as a major city. Business owners have gone on strike in solidarity, and youth have taken over campuses. Though financial hardship are the main issue, protesters have also voiced anti-government slogans and criticized what they said was corruption and mismanagement.

Presidential Approach Changes

The Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, first called for representatives, adopting a softer stance than authorities did during the previous unrest, which were violently suppressed. Pezeshkian said that he had ordered the government to listen to the people's valid concerns.

The fatalities of demonstrators, however, suggest that officials are becoming more forceful as they address the protests as they persist. A communiqué from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps on Monday stated that it would take a harsh line against any external involvement or “sedition” in the country.

As the government face domestic dissent, it has attempted to refute claims from the US that it is reviving its atomic ambitions. Tehran has stated that it is halted enrichment activities domestically and has indicated it is ready for talks with the west.