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Ex-President Trump has warned of involvement in the Islamic Republic if its government harm demonstrators, resulting in admonishments from Iran's leadership that any American interference would overstep a definitive limit.

A Public Post Ignites Tensions

Via a social media post on Friday, the former president said that if the country were to shoot and kill demonstrators, the United States would “come to their rescue”. He added, “we are prepared to act,” without detailing what that would involve in practice.

Protests Enter the Next Phase Amid Financial Crisis

Public unrest are now in their latest phase, constituting the biggest in several years. The current unrest were catalyzed by an steep fall in the Iranian rial on Sunday, with its value plummeting to about a record depreciation, intensifying an already beleaguered economy.

Multiple individuals have been lost their lives, among them a volunteer for the state-affiliated group. Footage circulate showing officials carrying shotguns, with the noise of discharges heard in the recordings.

Tehran's Authorities Deliver Firm Warnings

Addressing Trump’s threat, an official, adviser to the country's highest authority, cautioned that the nation's sovereignty were a “definitive boundary, not a subject for online provocations”.

“Any foreign interference targeting the country's stability on false pretenses will be cut off with a regret-inducing response,” he said.

Another senior Iranian official, a key security official, alleged the US and Israel of being involved in the unrest, a frequent accusation by officials in response to domestic dissent.

“Washington needs to know that foreign interference in this national affair will lead to destabilisation of the whole region and the destruction of Washington's stakes,” Larijani stated. “The American people must know that the former president is the one that initiated this provocation, and they should consider the safety of their military personnel.”

Context of Tensions and Protest Scope

The nation has previously warned against American soldiers based in the Middle East in the past, and in June it launched strikes on a facility in Qatar following the American attacks on Iranian nuclear enrichment sites.

The current protests have been centered in Tehran but have also reached other cities, such as Isfahan. Merchants have shuttered businesses in protest, and students have taken over campuses. While financial hardship are the central grievance, protesters have also voiced political demands and condemned what they said was corruption and mismanagement.

Government Approach Changes

The nation's leader, the president, first called for demonstration organizers, adopting a more conciliatory tone than authorities did during the previous unrest, which were violently suppressed. He noted that he had instructed the administration to listen to the people's valid concerns.

The recent deaths of protesters, though, suggest that authorities are adopting a tougher stance against the unrest as they persist. A statement from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps on Monday cautioned that it would act decisively against any foreign interference or “internal strife” in the country.

While Iranian authorities grapple with domestic dissent, it has sought to counter accusations from the United States that it is reconstituting its nuclear activities. Iran has claimed that it is no longer enriching uranium anywhere in the country and has indicated it is ready for negotiations with the west.