US, Jan 10 : President Donald Trump said on Friday that the United States is closely monitoring the situation in Iran and expressed hope that protesters remain safe as unrest spreads across the country.
Speaking to reporters at the White House during a meeting with senior oil and gas executives, Trump issued a strong warning to Iranian authorities, saying the US would respond forcefully if demonstrators were killed.
“If they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved,” Trump said. “We will be hitting them very hard where it hurts,” adding that any response would not involve “boots on the ground.”
Trump said the scale of the unrest had exceeded expectations, claiming protesters were gaining control of areas previously thought unlikely.
“Iran’s in big trouble,” he said. “It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible.”
Describing the protests as extraordinary, Trump blamed Iran’s leadership for years of mistreatment of its citizens and said the current unrest was a direct consequence of that record.
“This is something pretty incredible that is happening in Iran,” he said. “It’s an amazing thing to watch.”
Expressing concern for demonstrators, Trump warned Iranian leaders against using lethal force. “I just hope the protestors in Iran are going to be safe because it is a very dangerous place right now,” he said. “You better not start shooting because we’ll start shooting too.”
Protests spread, security response intensifies
According to a report by the Institute for the Study of War, protest activity in Iran has expanded significantly since January 7, increasing in both scale and frequency. Demonstrations have been reported in Tehran and parts of northwestern Iran.
The think tank said Iranian authorities have responded with a tougher crackdown, including the rare deployment of Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps ground forces in at least one province.
Khamenei blames US for unrest
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has dismissed the protests as domestically driven and accused the United States of orchestrating the unrest.
Addressing a public gathering on January 9, Khamenei claimed some protesters were acting to please the American president. He criticised acts of vandalism during demonstrations, accusing those involved of harming their own country “just to please the President of America”.
Khamenei also attacked Trump personally, calling him arrogant and likening him to historical despots. He said such figures were often overthrown at the height of their power and claimed Trump would meet a similar fate.