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Ex-President Trump has stated he would step in in the Islamic Republic should its regime kill demonstrators, prompting warnings from senior Iranian officials that any American interference would violate a critical boundary.

An Online Post Fuels Tensions

In a social media post on Friday, the former president said that if the country were to shoot and kill demonstrators, the United States would “step in to help”. He further stated, “we are locked and loaded, and ready to go,” without clarifying what that would involve in actual terms.

Protests Enter the Next Phase Amid Economic Crisis

Public unrest are now in their second week, representing the most significant in several years. The current unrest were sparked by an unprecedented decline in the Iranian rial on Sunday, with its worth dropping to about 1.4m to the US dollar, further exacerbating an already beleaguered economy.

Several citizens have been reported killed, among them a volunteer for the Basij security force. Recordings have shown law enforcement carrying shotguns, with the audio of gunfire present in the video.

National Officials Issue Firm Rebukes

In response to the intervention warning, Ali Shamkhani, adviser to the supreme leader, warned that Iran’s national security were a “red line, not fodder for online provocations”.

“Any intervening hand approaching the country's stability on pretexts will be severed with a swift consequence,” the official wrote.

A separate high-ranking figure, the secretary of Iran’s supreme national security council, alleged the foreign powers of being involved in the unrest, a frequent accusation by Tehran when addressing domestic dissent.

“Washington needs to know that US intervention in this internal issue will lead to destabilisation of the entire area and the destruction of American interests,” he wrote. “US citizens must know that the former president is the one that began this escalation, and they should consider the security of their military personnel.”

Context of Tensions and Demonstration Nature

The nation has threatened to target American soldiers based in the region in the past, and in June it attacked Al-Udeid airbase in the Gulf after the American attacks on its nuclear facilities.

The current protests have been centered in the capital but have also reached other urban centers, such as Isfahan. Business owners have closed their stores in solidarity, and youth have taken over campuses. While financial hardship are the central grievance, protesters have also voiced political demands and criticized what they said was graft and poor governance.

Official Response Evolves

The Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, offered talks with representatives, taking a more conciliatory tone than authorities did during the previous unrest, which were put down harshly. The president stated that he had ordered the government to listen to the protesters’ “legitimate demands”.

The loss of life of protesters, though, may indicate that the state are adopting a tougher stance as they address the unrest as they persist. A statement from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps on Monday stated that it would act decisively against any external involvement or “sedition” in the country.

As the government face internal challenges, it has attempted to refute claims from the US that it is reconstituting its nuclear programme. Tehran has said that it is halted enrichment activities at present and has expressed it is ready for talks with the international community.