US ready to respond if Iran kills protesters, Trump saysAFP, PARISUS President Donald Trump on Friday said Washington was “locked and loaded” to respond if Iran killed protesters, prompting Tehran to warn that intervention would destabilize the region. Protesters and security forces on Thursday clashed in several Iranian cities, with six people reported killed, the first deaths since the unrest escalated. Iranian shopkeepers and traders protest against the economic conditions in Tehran on Monday. Photo: EPAIf Iran “violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue,” Trump wrote on social media. Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani warned Trump that “US interference in this internal matter would mean destabilizing the entire region and destroying America’s interests.”The American people “should be mindful of their soldiers’ safety,” Larijani added.

Source: Taipei Times January 03, 2026 18:00 UTC