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Ex-President Trump has warned of involvement in Iran should its authorities kill demonstrators, prompting admonishments from Iran's leadership that any American interference would overstep a definitive limit.

A Social Media Post Escalates Diplomatic Strain

In a online statement on Friday, Trump said that if the country were to fire upon demonstrators, the United States would “intervene on their behalf”. He further stated, “our response is imminent,” without clarifying what that could entail in actual terms.

Protests Continue into the Sixth Day Against a Backdrop of Financial Strain

Demonstrations across the nation are now in their second week, marking the biggest in recent memory. The ongoing protests were sparked by an steep fall in the Iranian rial on Sunday, with its value plummeting to about a record depreciation, worsening an already beleaguered economy.

Seven people have been lost their lives, including a volunteer for the paramilitary organization. Videos reportedly show security forces armed with firearms, with the audio of gunfire present in the background.

Iranian Leaders Issue Strong Warnings

Addressing Trump’s threat, Ali Shamkhani, counselor for the supreme leader, warned that Iran’s national security were a “red line, not material for reckless social media posts”.

“Any intervening hand nearing our national security on pretexts will be met with a regret-inducing response,” the official wrote.

A separate high-ranking figure, the secretary of Iran’s supreme national security council, accused the outside actors of orchestrating the protests, a common refrain by officials when addressing protests.

“Washington needs to know that American involvement in this domestic matter will lead to turmoil in the entire area and the harm to American interests,” the official stated. “The American people must know that Trump is the one that started this adventure, and they should consider the well-being of their soldiers.”

Background of Conflict and Demonstration Scale

The nation has threatened to target foreign forces stationed in the Middle East in the before, and in recent months it attacked Al-Udeid airbase in the Gulf following the US struck its nuclear facilities.

The present unrest have taken place in Tehran but have also extended to other urban centers, such as Isfahan. Merchants have gone on strike in solidarity, and youth have taken over campuses. While economic conditions are the main issue, demonstrators have also chanted political demands and criticized what they said was failures by officials.

Official Approach Evolves

The Iranian president, the president, initially invited representatives, adopting a more conciliatory tone than the government did during the previous unrest, which were met with force. Pezeshkian said that he had instructed the administration to listen to the demonstrators' core grievances.

The loss of life of protesters, though, may indicate that the state are adopting a tougher stance against the protests as they continue. A statement from the state security apparatus on Monday warned that it would respond forcefully against any outside meddling or “sedition” in the country.

As Tehran deal with internal challenges, it has attempted to refute claims from the United States that it is rebuilding its nuclear activities. Iran has stated that it is halted enrichment activities domestically and has expressed it is ready for talks with the international community.