Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and US President Donald Trump. (Office of the Iranian leader via AP; Shutterstock)
President Trump threatens to strike Iranian regime as death toll in anti-government protests rises to 20, with administration warning Tehran “don’t mess with Trump.”
By World Israel News Staff
The Trump administration warned Iran that the US could intervene directly if the regime continues to use deadly force against anti-government protesters.
On Sunday night, President Donald Trump spoke with reporters on board Air Force One, responding to questions regarding the recent arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the temporary US administration of Venezuela, and the ongoing uprising in Iran.
One reporter noted that Trump last Friday said that the US military was “locked and loaded” and poised to take action against the Iranian government in the event that protesters are killed, asking the president to respond to the killings which have taken place since his warning.
“We are watching it very closely,” Trump said. “If they start killing people like they have in the past, I think they are going to get hit very hard by the United States.”
The United States State Department also issued a veiled warning to Tehran, posting a message on its Farsi account on X.
“President Trump is a man of action,” the message read. “If you did not know that, now you know. Don’t mess with President Trump.”
An estimated 20 people have died thus far, including 19 protesters and a single member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Basij security force.
As of Sunday night, the eighth night since the demonstrations began, protests have been held at 222 locations in 78 cities spanning 26 of Iran’s 31 provinces.
Dozens of protesters have been injured, and close to 1,000 arrests have been reported.
According to a report by the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), the government’s efforts to crack down on the protests have not been effective, with anti-regime street protests, labor strikes, and student demonstrations continuing to spread, moving beyond major cities with demonstrations now reported in smaller towns.
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