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Donald Trump has threatened to intervene in Iran if its regime kill demonstrators, prompting cautionary statements from senior Iranian officials that any US intervention would overstep a definitive limit.

An Online Declaration Fuels Diplomatic Strain

In a social media post on recently, Trump stated that if Iran were to shoot and kill demonstrators, the US would “come to their rescue”. He added, “our response is imminent,” without detailing what that would involve in actual terms.

Unrest Enter the Next Phase Amid Financial Strain

Demonstrations across the nation are now in their second week, constituting the largest in several years. The present demonstrations were triggered by an steep fall in the Iranian rial on Sunday, with its worth dropping to about a historic low, further exacerbating an existing financial crisis.

Several citizens have been reported killed, including a member of the Basij security force. Footage have shown law enforcement carrying firearms, with the noise of discharges present in the recordings.

Tehran's Leaders Issue Firm Responses

Addressing the statement, an official, adviser to the supreme leader, warned that the nation's sovereignty were a “non-negotiable limit, not a subject for reckless social media posts”.

“Any external involvement nearing Iran security on false pretenses will be met with a swift consequence,” he wrote.

Another leader, the secretary of Iran’s supreme national security council, alleged the foreign powers of having a hand in the protests, a frequent accusation by the government when addressing domestic dissent.

“Washington needs to know that American involvement in this national affair will lead to destabilisation of the whole region and the damage to American interests,” he wrote. “The public must know that the former president is the one that began this escalation, and they should pay attention to the safety of their troops.”

Background of Strain and Demonstration Nature

The nation has threatened to target US troops stationed in the Middle East in the before, and in June it attacked Al-Udeid airbase in the Gulf following the US struck Iranian nuclear enrichment sites.

The ongoing demonstrations have taken place in the capital but have also extended to other cities, such as a major city. Shopkeepers have closed their stores in solidarity, and students have taken over university grounds. While financial hardship are the central grievance, demonstrators have also chanted anti-government slogans and decried what they said was corruption and mismanagement.

Official Approach Evolves

The nation's leader, the president, offered talks with demonstration organizers, adopting a less confrontational approach than authorities did during the earlier demonstrations, which were violently suppressed. The president noted that he had ordered the government to listen to the demonstrators' core grievances.

The fatalities of protesters, though, suggest that officials are adopting a tougher stance as they address the protests as they persist. A statement from the state security apparatus on recently warned that it would take a harsh line against any external involvement or “sedition” in the country.

While Iranian authorities face domestic dissent, it has sought to counter allegations from the US that it is reconstituting its atomic ambitions. Iran has said that it is ceased such work anywhere in the country and has signaled it is ready for dialogue with the international community.