Trump says US ready to 'rescue' Iran protesters if attacked

Ramsey Al-Rikabi, Bloomberg News on Jan 2, 2026

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President Donald Trump pledged that the U.S. will come to the rescue of Iranian protesters if they are attacked by Islamic Republic authorities.

“If Iran shots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue,” Trump said in a Truth Social post early Friday. “We are locked and loaded and ready to go.”

Iranian Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani responded on X, saying the U.S. “should be mindful of their soldiers’ safety.”

The Trump post, around 3 a.m. Washington and late morning in Iran, came after protests over a currency slump and soaring prices spread beyond Tehran to cities nationwide. The rial’s crash to a record low on Sunday worsened an economic crisis in a country already beset by crippling international sanctions.

Clashes have broken out between civilians and security forces and at least seven people have been killed in four cities in recent days, according to the AP.

Trump didn’t provide specifics on what action he would consider taking and the White House didn’t immediately respond to questions sent outside normal business hours. Earlier in the week, the U.S. leader threatened Iran over the separate issue of its nuclear weapons program.

Trump’s remarks appear to signal a willingness to intervene in the type of overseas crises he pledged to stay away from. His administration’s campaign against the regime of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, including seizing oil tankers and at least one airstrike on land, has already unnerved portions of his base.

“Trump should know that U.S. interference in this internal matter would mean destabilizing the entire region and destroying America’s interests,” Iran’s Larijani said. “We distinguish between the stance of the protesting shopkeepers and the actions of disruptive actors,” he wrote.

The protests have continued despite Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s pledge to revise planned tax increases, calling demands for change “legitimate.” While the country is known for violently cracking down on demonstrators, it has a history of nationwide protest movements — most recently in 2019 and 2022.

Trump on Monday warned of potential strikes against Iran after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, citing concerns Tehran is rebuilding the nuclear program and expanding its ballistic missile capabilities, following joint U.S.-Israeli strikes in June.

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—With assistance from Arsalan Shahla.