President Donald Trump and Iranian Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani. (Photo: AP)
US President Donald Trump has threatened to intervene in Iran if its government kills demonstrators, prompting warnings from senior Iranian officials that any American interference would cross a “red line”. Trump has warned Iran’s authorities against killing peaceful protesters, saying Washington “will come to their rescue”.
The protests in Iran have continued for almost a week after a sharp fall in the value of the national currency. The unrest has spread from Tehran to other cities, with shopkeepers and students joining demonstrations. At least eight people have been reported dead, adding that it has not been able to independently verify all the deaths.
Donald Trump warned Iran against using lethal force on protesters and said the US would act if demonstrators were killed. He wrote that the United States was “locked and loaded and ready to go”, although the US president did not specify what action Washington could take against the Iranian authorities.
Tensions between the US and Iran remain high. Earlier this year, the US struck Iranian nuclear sites on Trump’s orders, and Iran later launched missiles at a US base in Qatar, the BBC reported.
What Iran said
In response to Trump’s threat of intervention, Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned that Iran’s national security was a “red line, not material for adventurist tweets”.
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“Any intervening hand nearing Iran security on pretexts will be cut off with a regret-inducing response,” Shamkhani said in a post on X.
Iranians know US “rescue” record well, from Iraq and Afghanistan to Gaza. Any intervening hand-nearing #Iran_Security on pretexts will be cut off with a#Regret_Inducing_Response. Iran’s national security is a #Red_Line, notmaterial for adventurist tweets.
The threats come just days after Trump said that the US could strike Iran if it was found to be rebuilding its nuclear programme, further escalating tensions between the two countries.
Another senior Iranian official, Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s supreme national security council, accused the US and Israel of having a hand in the demonstrations in Iran, a common refrain by officials in response to protests.
“Trump must realize that US intervention in this domestic matter will lead to destabilisation of the whole region and the destruction of American interests,” Larijani wrote on X. “The American people must know that Trump is the one that started this adventure, and they should pay attention to the safety of their soldiers.”
With the statements by Israeli officials and @realDonaldTrump, 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… pic.twitter.com/uu9R20KFFv
— Ali Larijani | علی لاریجانی (@alilarijani_ir) January 2, 2026
Video verified by BBC Persian showed clashes in several cities and funerals for people reported to have been killed. Protesters told the BBC they would welcome outside pressure, while officials said some of the dead were members of the security forces a claim protesters disputed.
President Masoud Pezeshkian said the government would listen to the protesters’ “legitimate demands”, while the prosecutor-general warned that attempts to create instability would meet a “decisive response”.
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President Donald Trump and Iranian Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani. (Photo: AP) 
