U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the United States will "come to the aid" of protesters in Iran if the authorities suppress demonstrations with the use of force.
"If Iran shoots and brutally kills peaceful protesters, which is their usual practice, the U.S. will come to their aid. We are ready to act and fully armed," Trump wrote on the social network Truth, as quoted by "Meduza".
Protests have been ongoing across Iran for five days, triggered by a sharp decline in the national currency and rising prices. On January 1, Iranian media reported the first fatalities — among both protesters and law enforcement officials. Their exact number is unknown.
In June 2025, the U.S. carried out a series of strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities during a 12-day Iran-Israel war. On December 31, Axios reported that during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump discussed the possibility of new strikes on Iran in 2026.
