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Donald Trump has threatened to intervene in Iran if its regime kill demonstrators, leading to cautionary statements from senior Iranian officials that any involvement from Washington would overstep a definitive limit.

A Public Post Fuels Tensions

Via a social media post on Friday, Trump declared that if Iran were to fire upon demonstrators, the United States would “step in to help”. He further stated, “we are prepared to act,” without clarifying what that would involve in practice.

Demonstrations Continue into the Sixth Day Amid Financial Turmoil

Public unrest are now in their sixth day, constituting the biggest in recent memory. The current unrest were sparked by an unprecedented decline in the country's money on Sunday, with its value falling to about a historic low, intensifying an precarious economic situation.

Seven people have been confirmed dead, among them a member of the Basij security force. Videos circulate showing law enforcement armed with firearms, with the noise of discharges present in the recordings.

Tehran's Leaders Deliver Strong Rebukes

Reacting to the intervention warning, an official, counselor for the country's highest authority, cautioned that Iran’s national security were a “non-negotiable limit, not fodder for reckless social media posts”.

“Any intervening hand approaching the country's stability on pretexts will be cut off with a swift consequence,” Shamkhani wrote.

A separate high-ranking figure, a key security official, accused the foreign powers of orchestrating the unrest, a typical response by the government when addressing protests.

“Washington needs to know that American involvement in this internal issue will lead to destabilisation of the whole region and the destruction of American interests,” the official stated. “The American people must know that the former president is the one that began this escalation, and they should pay attention to the security of their military personnel.”

Context of Tensions and Demonstration Scope

The nation has vowed to strike American soldiers based in the region in the before, and in June it launched strikes on Al-Udeid airbase in Qatar following the US struck its nuclear facilities.

The current protests have taken place in Tehran but have also reached other cities, such as a major city. Merchants have gone on strike in solidarity, and students have gathered on campuses. While financial hardship are the central grievance, protesters have also voiced calls for change and criticized what they said was failures by officials.

Government Response Shifts

The head of state, Masoud Pezeshkian, first called for demonstration organizers, taking a softer stance than authorities did during the earlier demonstrations, which were met with force. Pezeshkian said that he had directed the administration to listen to the protesters’ “legitimate demands”.

The recent deaths of protesters, however, could signal that the state are taking a harder line as they address the protests as they persist. A statement from the state security apparatus on recently cautioned that it would act decisively against any outside meddling or “internal strife” in the country.

As Tehran deal with protests at home, it has sought to counter claims from the United States that it is rebuilding its atomic ambitions. Iran has stated that it is halted enrichment activities anywhere in the country and has expressed it is open for negotiations with the international community.