On Friday, President Trump delivered a stern warning to Iran’s leadership, pledging U.S. action if Iranian authorities resort to deadly force against peaceful demonstrators. This declaration comes amid widespread protests across Iran driven by economic grievances.

Trump conveyed his warning via Truth Social.

“Should Iran employ violence against peaceful protesters, as they have done before, the United States stands ready to intervene,” the President stated. “We are fully prepared and ready to act.”

This statement signifies a significant escalation in the already tense relations between the U.S. and Iran, particularly as the protests have resulted in fatalities. At least one protester has been confirmed dead, with other unverified reports suggesting additional casualties.

The protests erupted when vendors in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar initiated a strike following the Iranian rial’s dramatic decline to a historic low against the U.S. dollar. The resulting inflation has further strained the lives of ordinary Iranians, who have long suffered under the regime’s poor economic management.

The unrest began late last week when shopkeepers in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar went on strike in response to the Iranian rial’s (their official currency) plunge to a record low against the U.S. dollar. Inflation has surged, devastating ordinary Iranians already battered by years of regime mismanagement.

Mark Carney, Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer stand with Hamas.

Donald Trump stands with the people of Iran.

I had to check for myself that this is real — it is. pic.twitter.com/IrADvUFBsE

— Ezra Levant 🍁🚛 (@ezralevant) January 2, 2026

READ MORE: Happy 2026! Predictions for the New Year

Watch: Protests in Iran Are Spreading, As More Bravely Stand Up to the Regime

Earlier in the week, President Trump did not indicate whether or not he supported regime change in Iran, but did issue a warning that the protests may get worse.

“They’ve got a lot of problems: tremendous inflation, their economy is bust, their economy is no good, and I know people aren’t so happy,” he told reporters.

RedState reporter Nick Arama revealed that the protests in Iran are spreading fast as more and more demonstrators stand up to the brutal regime. But it seems like we’ve seen this play out before. Will these protests mark something that fundamentally alters that nation?

“There have been numerous protests over the years in Iran,” Arama writes, “but there are indications in this one that are giving many great hope, as we enter a new year.”

Day 4 of protests in Iran.
The people are chanting for the return of the King.
No chants against the West.
No chants against Israel.
Iran was hijacked by terrorists in 1979, and the people want their country back. Is the media only interested when protests attack Israel? pic.twitter.com/YkAhxUuUXm

— Sina (@SinaMihandoost) December 31, 2025

Trump’s stern warning also comes after RedState reporter Ward Clark predicted that “something big” is happening in Iran as we enter a new year.

“It looks like it’s about to get very interesting,” Clark envisions. “Tehran is dying of thirst, due to drought and also due to the incompetence of the ruling mullahs and their predilection for funding terrorists rather than handling actual distributed interests of the Iranian people, like basic infrastructure.”

“It’s looking a lot like the Iranian people have finally had enough, and in the end, it has to be the Iranian people who toss those Bronze Age barbarians out,” he added. “I think this may well be the year they do it.”

Trump’s warning builds on his administration’s tough stance against Iran, including devastating U.S. airstrikes in June on their nuclear facilities. They are quite aware that when the Commander-in-Chief issues a warning, he is certainly willing to follow through. 

With the regime weakened by economic crisis, lost allies like the Assad government in Syria, and internal dissent, some analysts believe these protests pose the most serious threat to the Islamic Republic in years.

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