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The former president has stated he would step in in Iran if its regime kill protesters, resulting in cautionary statements from Iran's leadership that any involvement from Washington would cross a “red line”.

A Social Media Post Escalates Tensions

Via a public declaration on Friday, the former president said that if Iran were to use deadly force against protesters, the United States would “intervene on their behalf”. He added, “we are locked and loaded, and ready to go,” without detailing what that could entail in practice.

Unrest Continue into the Next Phase Against a Backdrop of Financial Turmoil

Protests in Iran are now in their latest phase, representing the largest in recent memory. The current unrest were triggered by an steep fall in the national currency on recently, with its worth falling to about a record depreciation, intensifying an precarious economic situation.

Seven people have been lost their lives, including a volunteer for the paramilitary organization. Videos reportedly show law enforcement armed with shotguns, with the audio of gunfire audible in the video.

National Authorities Issue Firm Rebukes

Reacting to the intervention warning, an official, adviser to the country's highest authority, warned that internal matters were a “non-negotiable limit, not a subject for adventurist tweets”.

“Any foreign interference targeting our national security on false pretenses will be cut off with a regret-inducing response,” he said.

Another leader, the secretary of Iran’s supreme national security council, accused the foreign powers of being involved in the demonstrations, a typical response by the government in response to protests.

“Trump must realize that US intervention in this internal issue will lead to destabilisation of the Middle East and the harm to American interests,” Larijani wrote. “The public must know that the former president is the one that began this escalation, and they should pay attention to the safety of their soldiers.”

Background of Tensions and Protest Scale

Tehran has previously warned against American soldiers stationed in the region in the before, and in recent months it attacked Al-Udeid airbase in Qatar after the US struck Iranian nuclear enrichment sites.

The ongoing demonstrations have occurred in Tehran but have also extended to other urban centers, such as a major city. Business owners have gone on strike in protest, and activists have taken over campuses. While economic conditions are the main issue, demonstrators have also chanted anti-government slogans and condemned what they said was corruption and mismanagement.

Presidential Approach Changes

The Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, offered talks with demonstration organizers, adopting a more conciliatory tone than authorities did during the previous unrest, which were violently suppressed. The president said that he had ordered the government to listen to the demonstrators' core grievances.

The fatalities of protesters, could, may indicate that the state are taking a harder line against the unrest as they persist. A communiqué from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps on recently warned that it would act decisively against any foreign interference or “unrest” in the country.

As Iranian authorities grapple with protests at home, it has tried to stave off allegations from the US that it is reconstituting its nuclear activities. Iran has stated that it is no longer enriching uranium anywhere in the country and has indicated it is ready for dialogue with the international community.