Trump says US will intervene if Iran starts killing protesters: 'Locked and loaded'

Writing on Truth Social, the president said if Iran shoots and "violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue." 

Ali Larijani, a former parliament speaker who serves as the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, pushed back on Trump's post, writing on X that, "With the statements by Israeli officials and Donald Trump, what has been going on behind the scenes is now clear. We distinguish between the stance of the protesting shopkeepers and the actions of disruptive actors, and Trump should know that U.S. interference in this internal matter would mean destabilizing the entire region and destroying America's interests."

"The American people should know - Trump started this adventurism. They should be mindful of their soldiers' safety," Larijani added.

At the time, Iran vowed to retaliate against the U.S. after American B-2 bombers dropped 14 bunker buster bombs on three Iranian nuclear sites. 

In the recent Iranian demonstrations, some of the most severe violence has been reported in western Iran, where videos circulating online appeared to show fires burning in streets and the sound of gunfire during nighttime protests. 

State television reported the arrests of several people accused of exploiting the unrest, including individuals it described as monarchists and others allegedly linked to Europe-based groups. Authorities also claimed security forces seized smuggled weapons during related operations, though details remain limited.