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The former president has threatened to intervene in Iran if its regime use lethal force against protesters, prompting admonishments from senior Iranian officials that any US intervention would overstep a definitive limit.

A Public Declaration Fuels Tensions

Via a public declaration on Friday, the former president stated that if the country were to use deadly force against demonstrators, the US would “intervene on their behalf”. He further stated, “we are locked and loaded, and ready to go,” without explaining what that might mean in practice.

Unrest Continue into the New Week Amid Economic Turmoil

Public unrest are now in their second week, marking the largest in recent memory. The ongoing protests were catalyzed by an steep fall in the country's money on Sunday, with its value falling to about 1.4m to the US dollar, further exacerbating an precarious economic situation.

Multiple individuals have been lost their lives, including a volunteer for the paramilitary organization. Videos have shown law enforcement armed with shotguns, with the noise of discharges heard in the background.

Tehran's Authorities Issue Stark Warnings

Reacting to Trump’s threat, an official, adviser to the country's highest authority, cautioned that the nation's sovereignty were a “non-negotiable limit, not a subject for adventurist tweets”.

“Any foreign interference nearing the country's stability on any excuse will be met with a swift consequence,” he wrote.

A separate high-ranking figure, a key security official, claimed the US and Israel of being involved in the protests, a common refrain by Tehran when addressing protests.

“Washington needs to know that foreign interference in this domestic matter will lead to instability across the whole region and the damage to US assets,” the official declared. “The American people must know that Trump is the one that started this adventure, and they should be concerned for the well-being of their soldiers.”

Context of Tensions and Protest Nature

Iran has previously warned against foreign forces stationed in the region in the past, and in recent months it launched strikes on Al-Udeid airbase in the Gulf following the American attacks on Iranian nuclear enrichment sites.

The ongoing demonstrations have taken place in Tehran but have also reached other cities, such as Isfahan. Merchants have shuttered businesses in protest, and students have taken over university grounds. While economic conditions are the central grievance, protesters have also chanted calls for change and criticized what they said was failures by officials.

Government Approach Evolves

The Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, initially invited protest leaders, adopting a more conciliatory tone than the government did during the earlier demonstrations, which were put down harshly. The president said that he had directed the administration to listen to the protesters’ “legitimate demands”.

The loss of life of protesters, though, suggest that authorities are taking a harder line as they address the unrest as they persist. A announcement from the powerful military force on recently warned that it would take a harsh line against any outside meddling or “internal strife” in the country.

While the government 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 no longer enriching uranium anywhere in the country and has indicated it is open for talks with the west.