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Ex-President Trump has threatened to intervene in the Islamic Republic if its regime use lethal force against protesters, leading to admonishments from senior Iranian officials that any US intervention would overstep a definitive limit.

A Public Statement Escalates Tensions

Via a social media post on recently, Trump said that if the country were to shoot and kill demonstrators, the America would “step in to help”. He noted, “our response is imminent,” without explaining what that could entail in actual terms.

Protests Enter the New Week Amid Economic Crisis

Public unrest are now in their sixth day, representing the most significant in several years. The present demonstrations were sparked by an sharp drop in the country's money on recently, with its value plummeting to about a historic low, further exacerbating an existing financial crisis.

Seven people have been reported killed, including a member of the Basij security force. Videos reportedly show officials carrying shotguns, with the noise of discharges audible in the recordings.

Iranian Officials Issue Strong Responses

Addressing Trump’s threat, Ali Shamkhani, counselor for the country's highest authority, stated that the nation's sovereignty were a “non-negotiable limit, not material for adventurist tweets”.

“Any foreign interference approaching the country's stability on any excuse will be cut off with a swift consequence,” he wrote.

Another senior Iranian official, a key security official, claimed the outside actors of orchestrating the protests, a frequent accusation by the government in response to protests.

“Trump must realize that American involvement in this internal issue will lead to turmoil in the whole region and the destruction of Washington's stakes,” he stated. “US citizens must know that Trump is the one that began this escalation, and they should consider the safety of their troops.”

Background of Tensions and Demonstration Nature

The nation has threatened to target US troops based in the Middle East in the before, and in June it attacked Al-Udeid airbase in the Gulf after the US struck Iranian nuclear enrichment sites.

The ongoing demonstrations have been centered 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 economic conditions are the main issue, protesters have also voiced anti-government slogans and condemned what they said was graft and poor governance.

Official Approach Shifts

The head of state, Masoud Pezeshkian, first called for protest leaders, adopting a softer stance than authorities did during the 2022 protests, which were put down harshly. Pezeshkian noted that he had ordered the government to listen to the demonstrators' core grievances.

The fatalities of demonstrators, though, may indicate that officials are taking a harder line as they address the protests as they persist. A statement from the powerful military force on recently warned that it would respond forcefully against any outside meddling or “unrest” 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 programme. Tehran has claimed that it is ceased such work anywhere in the country and has indicated it is ready for negotiations with the international community.