Iran's political leaders are warning the US that any attempt to shield demonstrators inside the country could trigger widespread military retaliation. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of Iran's parliament, lashed out Friday at President Trump's Truth Social post pledging to protect "peaceful protesters" if Iranian forces "violently kill" them, saying such intervention would turn "all American centers and forces across the entire region" into potential targets, the Hill reports. "Iranians have always been united and determined to act in the face of an aggressor enemy," Ghalibaf posted on X.
The protests in Iran have been going on for nearly a week, initially driven by the collapse of the rial but increasingly featuring anti-government chants. At least seven people have died in related unrest, per the AP. The backdrop includes US and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June; Iran responded at the time with a missile attack on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which hosts American troops, causing damage but no casualties. Trump, who previously used a "maximum pressure" sanctions campaign against Tehran in 2019 over its crackdown on demonstrators, now insists earlier US strikes "obliterated" Iran's nuclear capabilities but says the country is rebuilding.
"They know the consequences," Trump warned this week, per the Hill, adding that any new response "will be very powerful, maybe more powerful than the last time." Still, he has left the door open to fresh talks, including in recent discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago. In a separate statement, Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, accused Trump and Israel of using the protests as cover for new attacks and cautioned that US interference could destabilize the region and destroy US interests, urging Americans to "pay attention to the safety of their soldiers."
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