Tehran will target US forces in the Middle East if Washington tries to intervene in Iran’s handling of ongoing mass protests, the country’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Ghalibaf, has warned.
His words came after US President Donald Trump stated that America was “locked and loaded” and could go in at any moment.
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Large-scale demonstrations began in the Islamic Republic in late December when merchants in Tehran went on strike after the national currency, the rial, hit a record low. The protests quickly spread to other cities and turned political and violent.
“The disrespectful president of America should … know that … all American centers and forces across the entire region will be legitimate targets for us in response to any potential adventurism,” Ghalibaf said in a statement on X on Friday, commenting on Trump’s post on Truth Social earlier that day.
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The protests are the most intense since 2022, when Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old accused of improperly wearing her hijab, died in police custody.
The incident triggered weeks of violent unrest, resulting in more than 200 deaths across the country and thousands of arrests.
Videos circulated online suggested that the crowds have attacked government buildings and facilities linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Casualties were also reported among both the protesters and the security forces.
Trump warned that Washington could intervene if Iran “shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters.”
Ghalibaf alleged that Israeli agents have sought to transform legitimate protests into violent urban battles, adding that those attempts were thwarted.
Tehran is capable of discerning between protesters and “foreign mercenaries” and would never mistreat its own people, the parliamentary speaker noted.
Israel has openly endorsed the unrest. Its Mossad national intelligence agency has admitted that it has operations in the Islamic Republic. Tehran warned on Friday that any intervention into Iran’s security would be followed with a “regret-inducing response.”
