The exchange of threats between Washington and Tehran underscores how domestic unrest inside Iran is intersecting with already heightened U.S.–Iran tensions following American strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025. What began as protests driven by economic distress has rapidly evolved into a geopolitical flashpoint, with both sides using public rhetoric to signal red lines while stopping short of immediate military escalation.

U.S. President Donald Trump directly addressed the unrest on Friday via his Truth Social account, warning Tehran against the violent suppression of demonstrators. “We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” Trump wrote, adding that the United States would “come to their rescue” if peaceful protesters were killed. The post marked a rare and explicit statement of support for Iranian demonstrators from a sitting U.S. president during active protests, a departure from the caution shown during earlier unrest in 2009 and 2022.

“Any Intervention Will Backfire”

As of Friday, U.S. officials said there had been no significant adjustment to American troop deployments or military readiness across the Middle East in response to President Trump’s social media statements. The assessment was provided by a U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of operational planning.

Iran, meanwhile, moved to formally register its objections at the United Nations. Late on Friday, Tehran submitted a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the Security Council, calling on the body to condemn what it described as threatening rhetoric and to reaffirm Iran’s right to safeguard its sovereignty, territorial integrity and national security from external interference.

Iran’s ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, warned in the letter that Washington would be held accountable for any fallout stemming from what he termed unlawful threats and any subsequent escalation. The diplomatic message was reinforced by sharper language from within Iran’s security establishment. Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and a former head of the Supreme National Security Council, cautioned that “any interventionist hand that approaches Iran’s security will be cut.”

Protests Driven by Economic Collapse

The demonstrations, now in their sixth day, are the largest Iran has seen since nationwide protests erupted in 2022 following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman detained by morality police. While current protests have not yet matched the scale of those earlier demonstrations, they have spread to more than 100 locations across 22 of Iran’s 31 provinces, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency.

At least eight people have been killed, including one demonstrator in Marvdasht, in Fars province. Videos circulating online showed funerals turning into protests, including the burial of 21-year-old Amirhessam Khodayari in Kouhdasht, roughly 400 kilometers southwest of Tehran. Footage showed mourners chasing away security personnel, while Khodayari’s father publicly denied official claims that his son had served in the Basij, the volunteer paramilitary force linked to the Revolutionary Guard.

The protests were initially sparked by the collapse of Iran’s rial, which has depreciated to roughly 1.4 million rials to the U.S. dollar. Demonstrators have increasingly chanted against Iran’s political system, reflecting how economic grievances are converging with broader political anger.

Diplomatic Signals and Strategic Risk

Iran’s response has combined internal messaging with international diplomacy. In a letter to U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and the Security Council, Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani called for condemnation of U.S. rhetoric and reaffirmation of Iran’s right to defend its sovereignty. “The United States of America bears full responsibility for any consequences arising from these unlawful threats,” he wrote.

President Masoud Pezeshkian’s reformist government has attempted to signal openness to dialogue with protesters but has acknowledged its limited ability to stabilize the economy. Tehran has also said it is no longer enriching uranium at any site, an apparent attempt to reopen the door to negotiations over sanctions relief. Those talks remain stalled, however, as U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continue to warn Iran against rebuilding its nuclear program.