'Locked and loaded': Trump warns Iran over killings during protests

President Donald Trump warned Iran against killing peaceful protesters, saying US is 'locked and loaded' as protests over inflation, jobs and a currency crash spread across several cities

As protests continue across Iran, US President Donald Trump has issued a strong warning to Tehran. He said the United States would step in if Iran’s authorities kill peaceful protesters.

 

“We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social account.

 

His statement comes amid seven people being killed in clashes between protesters and security forces since demonstrations began on Sunday. The protests first broke out in Tehran when shopkeepers took to the streets over the government’s handling of a sharp fall in the currency, weak economic growth, and rising prices.

 

 

Iran’s inflation officially touched 42.5 per cent in December, adding to public anger.

Students join, markets shut across cities

The protests gained momentum on Tuesday after students from at least 10 universities joined the protests. Several markets were shut as unrest spread. The government also declared a holiday, citing cold weather, which effectively brought large parts of the country to a halt.

 

The worst violence was reported from Azna, a city in Iran’s Lorestan province, about 300 kilometres southwest of Tehran. Videos circulating online appeared to show fires burning on streets and gunshots ringing out, while people shouted “Shameless! Shameless!”

 

These protests are the largest Iran has seen since 2022, when the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody sparked nationwide protests. However, the current unrest has not yet spread across the entire country and remains less intense than the movement triggered by Amini’s death. She was detained by police over how she wore her hijab, or headscarf.

Trump warns Iran against reviving nuclear programme

On Tuesday, Trump also warned Iran against rebuilding its nuclear programme while welcoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to his Florida residence for broad discussions.

 

Trump has repeatedly claimed that US strikes in June fully destroyed Iran’s key nuclear enrichment sites. However, Israeli officials have reportedly raised concerns that Iran may be trying to rebuild its long-range missile capabilities that could target Israel.

 

"Now I hear that Iran is trying to build up again", Trump told reporters as he welcomed Netanyahu to his Mar-a-Lago estate. And if they are, we're going to have to knock them down. We'll knock them down. We'll knock the hell out of them. But hopefully that's not happening," Trump said.

Iran signals openness to talks, Israel seeks action

Iran has said it is no longer enriching uranium at any location, signalling to Western nations that it remains open to talks over its nuclear programme. Despite this, Netanyahu was expected to raise the possibility of further military action against Tehran, just months after a 12-day conflict between the two sides, Associated Press reported.

 

Trump also criticised Iran for failing to agree to a deal to completely dismantle its nuclear programme before the US and Israeli strikes earlier this year.

 

(With agency inputs)