Iran Warns Against U.S. Interference Amid Escalating Protests

Mon Feb 02 2026 19:05:50 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In response to Donald Trump's warning of U.S. intervention in Iran's protests, Iranian officials label the comments as reckless. The protests, driven by economic grievances, have led to violence and casualties.

Iran's foreign minister has condemned Donald Trump's warning of U.S. intervention during ongoing protests in Iran, calling his comments 'reckless and dangerous.' The protests, fueled by economic issues, have resulted in at least eight deaths and have spread across multiple cities. Iran's leadership emphasizes that they will not tolerate foreign interference and have expressed determination to manage the unrest internally.

Donald Trump's warning that the US will intervene if peaceful protesters are killed was 'reckless and dangerous', Iran's foreign minister has said.

Abbas Araghchi's comments came after the US president suggested Washington 'will come to their rescue' of demonstrators taking part in protests over Iran's economy, stating: 'We are locked and loaded and ready to go.'

Araghchi indicated Iran's armed forces were on standby and 'know exactly where to aim' in the event of an attack.

At least eight people are reported to have died during the week-long protests, as of Saturday morning.

Trump wrote on Friday: 'If Iran shots [sic] and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue.' He did not specify what action Washington might take. Previously, it has carried out strikes on Iran's nuclear sites.

'Given President Trump's deployment of the National Guard within US borders, he of all people should know that criminal attacks on public property cannot be tolerated,' Araghchi wrote on X.

Iran would 'forcefully reject any interference in their internal affairs', he added.

On Saturday Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addressed the wave of protests, stating that 'rioters must be put in their place', acknowledging the economic grievances of the original protest but insisting that anti-government slogans were provocations by the enemy.

The protests began in Tehran, sparked by economic discontent due to the collapse of the Iranian currency, the rial. They quickly spread to other cities, drawing significant attention from various demographics including students.

Casualties have continued to mount, with recent reports of fatalities in various cities amid clashes with security forces. The EU has urged Iran to exercise restraint and respect the rights of protesters for peaceful assembly.

The ongoing unrest follows a similar wave of protests in 2022 triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini, although the recent protests have not reached the same scale. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has committed to addressing the 'legitimate demands' of the protesters.