In the midst of rising tensions between the United States and Iran, President Donald Trump and Iranian leaders engaged in a war of words on Friday, as economic unrest spread across Iran. This comes on the heels of the U.S. bombing Iranian nuclear sites in June, heightening the already strained relations.

President Trump took to his Truth Social platform to issue a stern warning to Iran, stating that if the nation “violently kills peaceful protesters,” the U.S. will step in to assist. At least seven casualties have been reported amidst the protests, which have been fueled in part by the drastic devaluation of Iran’s currency, the rial.

Trump declared, “We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” though he did not provide further details.

In response, Ali Larijani, a former speaker of Iran’s parliament and the current secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, accused the United States and Israel of inciting the protests on the social platform X. He did not present evidence for this claim, which echoes previous allegations made by Iranian authorities during past protests.

Larijani cautioned that U.S. involvement in Iran’s internal matters could lead to widespread chaos and harm American interests in the region. Writing on X, which is restricted by the Iranian regime, he added, “The people of the U.S. should know that Trump began the adventurism. They should take care of their own soldiers.”

Larijani’s remarks likely referenced America’s wide military footprint in the region. Iran in June attacked Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar after the U.S. strikes on three nuclear sites during Israel’s 12-day war on the Islamic Republic.

Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who previously was the council’s secretary for years, warned that “any interventionist hand that gets too close to the security of Iran will be cut.”

“The people of Iran properly know the experience of ‘being rescued’ by Americans: from Iraq and Afghanistan to Gaza,” he added on X.

The current protests, now in their sixth day, have become the biggest in Iran since 2022, when the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody triggered nationwide demonstrations. However, the demonstrations have yet to be countrywide and have not been as intense as those surrounding the death of Amini, who was detained over not wearing her hijab, or headscarf, to the liking of authorities.

Iran’s civilian government under reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian has been trying to signal it wants to negotiate with protesters. However, Pezeshkian has acknowledged there is not much he can do as Iran’s rial has rapidly depreciated, with $1 now costing some 1.4 million rials. That sparked the initial protests.

The protests, taking root in economic issues, have heard demonstrators chant against Iran’s theocracy as well.

Months after the war, Iran said it was no longer enriching uranium at any site in the country, trying to signal to the West that it remains open to potential negotiations over its atomic program to ease sanctions. However, those talks have yet to happen as Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have warned Tehran against reconstituting its atomic program.