Iran’s army chief threatened preemptive military action Wednesday over the “rhetoric” targeting the Islamic Republic, likely referring to US President Donald Trump’s warning that if Tehran “violently kills peaceful protesters,” America “will come to their rescue.”
The comments by Maj Gen Amir Hatami come as Iran tries to respond to what it sees as a dual threat posed by Israel and the United States, as well as the protests sparked by its economic crisis that have grown into a direct challenge to its theocracy.
The anti-regime demonstrations have spread to over 250 locations across 27 of Iran’s 31 provinces, according to the group.
Tehran sought to quell the protests, with Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei saying Saturday that “rioters must be put in their place,” a remark widely interpreted as a signal for security forces to end the demonstrations.
Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian has struck a more conciliatory tone, urging dialogue and promising economic reforms in bid to placate demonstrators demanding political change, action on corruption and relief from rising living costs.
The promises included provision of a monthly stipend of 10 million rials ($7) per person in non-cashable electronic credit for use at selected grocery stores, according to Reuters, citing the semi-official Tasnim news agency. Officials also pledged to overhaul the country’s foreign exchange subsidies system to bring direct support for consumers, shifting away from subsidizing importers, which have long been criticized as vulnerable to corruption.
Still, the public unrest has continued, expanding from economic grievances to broader frustration with the regime, with some protestors chanting “Death to the dictator,” a reference to Khamenei, who holds ultimate authority over the state.
Iranian officials fear Israel, US could target Iran after Venezuela operation
Iranian officials have expressed internal fears that after US action in Venezuela, Iran could face renewed military action by Israel and the United States.
An Iranian official told Reuters that concerns were increasing in Tehran that “Trump or Israel might take military action against Iran, like what they did in June.”
Iran – a longtime ally of Venezuela
Iran, which has for years allied itself with fellow oil producer Venezuela, which, like Iran, has suffered under years of US sanctions, has condemned Washington’s action in Caracas. It has also condemned Trump’s statements about Iran.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said such statements about “Iran’s internal affairs amount, under international norms, to nothing more than incitement to violence, incitement to terrorism, and incitement to killing.”
On Friday, Trump threatened to intervene if protesters faced violence, declaring, “We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” though he offered no details on what actions he might take.
The protests threaten what has long been Khamenei’s defining priority: preserving the Islamic Republic at any cost. In a sign of the leadership’s concern, Khamenei on Saturday accused “enemies of the Islamic Republic” of fomenting unrest and warned that “rioters should be put in their place.”
Worst unrest in the past three years
Authorities have attempted to maintain a dual approach to the unrest, saying protests over the economy are legitimate and will be met by dialogue, while meeting some demonstrations with tear gas amid violent street confrontations.
However, at least 17 people have been killed in a week, rights groups said on Sunday. Authorities have said at least two members of the security services had died and more than a dozen were injured in the unrest.
The country’s clerical establishment is still coming to terms with the 2025 Israeli and US strikes on Iranian nuclear and military targets. The attacks, which killed top Revolutionary Guard commanders and nuclear scientists, were launched just a day before a planned sixth round of talks with Washington over Tehran’s disputed nuclear program.
Negotiations have stalled since the June conflict, even as both sides insist they remain open to a deal.
Washington and its allies accuse Iran of using its nuclear program as cover to develop weapons capability, a charge Tehran denies, saying its ambitions are purely peaceful.
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