The violence in Iran has turned deadly as it has claimed lives of 10 people. Violence surrounding protests in Iran has killed two more people, authorities said Saturday, raising the death toll in the demonstrations to at least 10.
The new fatalities follow U.S. President Donald Trump warning Iran on Friday that if Tehran ‘violently kills peaceful protesters,’ the United States ‘will come to their rescue.’
‘We are locked and loaded and ready to go,’ he said.
While it has remained unclear how and if Trump will intervene, his comments sparked an immediate, angry response from officials within the theocracy threatening to target American troops in the Mideast.
The weeklong protests have become the biggest in Iran since 2022, when the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody triggered nationwide demonstrations.
The unrest has been driven by Iran’s struggling economy, with the rial now trading at roughly 1.4 million to the US dollar.
Addressing a gathering in Tehran, Khamenei said officials should engage in dialogue with protesters but drew a distinction with those he labelled rioters. “We talk to protesters, and officials must talk to them,” he said. “However, there is no value in talking to rioters. Rioters must be dealt with.”
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