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Donald Trump has threatened to intervene in Iran if its regime harm protesters, prompting admonishments from high-ranking figures in Tehran that any US intervention would violate a critical boundary.

A Public Declaration Ignites Diplomatic Strain

In a online statement on Friday, the former president stated that if the country were to shoot and kill protesters, the United States would “intervene on their behalf”. He further stated, “our response is imminent,” without clarifying what that would involve in actual terms.

Unrest Enter the Next Phase Amid Financial Turmoil

Protests in Iran are now in their sixth day, marking the biggest in several years. The current unrest were triggered by an unprecedented decline in the national currency on Sunday, with its value plummeting to about a record depreciation, further exacerbating an existing financial crisis.

Several citizens have been reported killed, among them a volunteer for the Basij security force. Videos have shown law enforcement armed with firearms, with the sound of shooting audible in the recordings.

National Leaders Issue Stark Warnings

In response to the statement, an official, counselor for the supreme leader, stated that Iran’s national security were a “definitive boundary, not fodder for adventurist tweets”.

“Any foreign interference nearing Iran security on false pretenses will be severed with a regret-inducing response,” he said.

Another senior Iranian official, the secretary of Iran’s supreme national security council, alleged the US and Israel of orchestrating the protests, a frequent accusation by the government when addressing protests.

“Washington needs to know that American involvement in this domestic matter will lead to destabilisation of the Middle East and the destruction of Washington's stakes,” the official wrote. “US citizens must know that the former president is the one that began this escalation, and they should pay attention to the safety of their military personnel.”

Context of Strain and Protest Scale

Tehran has previously warned against foreign forces stationed in the Middle East in the past, and in recent months it launched strikes on a facility in Qatar following the US struck its nuclear facilities.

The present unrest have been centered in the capital but have also extended to other cities, such as a major city. Shopkeepers have gone on strike in protest, and youth have gathered on campuses. While economic conditions are the central grievance, demonstrators have also chanted political demands and condemned what they said was graft and poor governance.

Government Approach Changes

The Iranian president, the president, initially invited demonstration organizers, taking a softer stance than authorities did during the earlier demonstrations, which were violently suppressed. Pezeshkian said that he had instructed the administration to listen to the protesters’ “legitimate demands”.

The loss of life of demonstrators, however, suggest that authorities are taking a harder line as they address the unrest as they continue. A statement from the powerful military force on recently warned that it would act decisively against any outside meddling or “sedition” in the country.

While Tehran deal with internal challenges, it has sought to counter allegations from the United States that it is reconstituting its nuclear activities. Iran has claimed that it is no longer enriching uranium at present and has signaled it is ready for dialogue with the west.