Trump says US is ‘locked and loaded’ to retaliate if Iranian protesters are killed

Four people were reported killed in Iranian protests in several cities on Thursday.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Responding to ongoing anti-regime protests in Iran, U.S. President Donald Trump warned that if demonstrators are killed, the United States will retaliate.

On Truth Social, he wrote, “If Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue,” Trump said. “We are locked and loaded and ready to go.

“Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP,” he added.

Four people were reported killed in Iranian protests in several cities on Thursday.

Iranian authorities were swift to respond to the president’s threat.

“Any interventionist hand that attacks Iran’s security under any pretext whatsoever will be exposed to a response,” Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to the supreme leader, wrote on X. “Iran’s security is a red line.”

Tensions between Iran on one side and the United States and Israel on the other have been high, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Trump at his resort in Mar-a-Lago and discussed potential Israeli strikes to prevent Iran from rebuilding its ballistic missile and nuclear capabilities.

President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu both described the 12-day confrontation with Iran in June as a major success, though Netanyahu has said additional strikes may still be required to prevent Tehran from restoring its military capabilities.

Trump said after the meeting that the United States would again dismantle Iran’s nuclear program if Tehran attempts to rebuild it, while adding that he would prefer to reach a nuclear agreement with the Islamic Republic.

A U.S. official said Trump would likely support a “second round” of strikes if Washington determines that Iran is taking concrete and verifiable steps to revive its nuclear program, though defining what constitutes reconstitution would be a central point of contention.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian responded to news of the talks in an X post: “Answer of Islamic Republic of Iran to any cruel aggression will be harsh and discouraging.”