Overview
- Speaking aboard Air Force One, President Donald Trump said the United States would respond forcefully if Iranian forces kill protesters, repeating a warning he issued days earlier.
- The U.S. State Department amplified the message with a Persian-language post on X calling Trump "a man of action" and telling Iranian leaders not to "play games" with him.
- Iran’s judiciary chief instructed prosecutors to act "with resolve" against those labeled "rioters," even as officials said they distinguish economic protesters from violent actors.
- Rights groups report at least 17 deaths since the unrest began on December 28, with demonstrations documented across dozens of cities as strikes and student actions broaden into political dissent.
- Iranian officials denounced Washington’s statements as dangerous interference, and analysts say the U.S. capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro has heightened Tehran’s fears, while the White House has given no specifics on possible U.S. actions.