New wave of protests
Trump threatens Iran over violence against protesters
Updated on January 2, 2026 – 11:02 amReading time: 1 min.
During the protests in Iran on Thursday, several demonstrators were killed in confrontations with the state. Now the US President speaks out.
US President Donald Trump has pledged his support to those taking part in the protests against the authoritarian government in Iran. If Iran kills peaceful protesters, “the United States of America will come to their aid,” the Republican wrote on his online platform Truth Social. The US President left it open what he specifically planned to do.
A reaction from Iran followed promptly. “We distinguish between the attitude of protesting shopkeepers and the actions of disruptive actors, and Trump should know that US interference in this internal matter would destabilize the entire region,” wrote Ali Larijani, secretary general of Iran’s Security Council, on the X platform. Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser to the government, also warned on
The current protests in Iran were triggered by a sudden collapse in foreign exchange rates last Sunday. Traders in particular in the capital Tehran spontaneously took to the streets. The protests are now also spreading to other parts of the country and sections of the population. There were serious riots in the west of the country on Thursday. Several people died in confrontations with security forces.
The USA has been considered the archenemy of the Iranian government since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. The two countries do not maintain diplomatic relations. In June 2025, the US military joined Israel’s war against Iran and bombed central nuclear facilities there.
