Above photo: AFP.
Iran’s national security chief Ali Larijani warned Trump to ‘be mindful of US soldiers’ safety.’
After the US president threatened Tehran and vowed to ‘rescue’ protesters.
Thousands of Iranians have come out into the streets for counterprotests rejecting foreign interference, violence against security forces, and vandalism of public property.
Footage on social media showed scores of citizens carrying Iranian flags and chanting “Death to America” in Hamedan province, where a police officer was assaulted by rioters the night before.
Counter-protesters also took to the streets of Iran’s Fars province.
Citizens chanted slogans condemning “the acts of sabotage carried out by some elements in the country, taking advantage of the peaceful protests,” while rejecting “any form of violence or sabotage, and their commitment to legal and peaceful channels of expression for legitimate demands,” according to Al Mayadeen.
They also denounced Israeli and US “interference” in internal Iranian affairs.
So far, at least seven people have been killed during the anti-government protests and riots, including at least two members of the security forces. Over a dozen have been injured.
The protests began peacefully on Sunday after Iran’s currency collapse, when shopkeepers in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar went on strike as the rial hit a record low against the dollar. The demonstration then began spreading to other cities.
Some of the protests have since turned violent, with rioters setting fires, carrying weapons, and attacking security forces.
The unrest is currently ongoing in several provinces, including Tehran, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, Isfahan, and Lorestan.
These are the largest riots and protests since the unrest that was sparked after the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022. At the time, foreign-backed armed elements carried out violent and deadly attacks against security forces.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has announced plans to reform Iran’s subsidy system by redirecting state support from producers and importers to regular citizens.
He also vowed to crack down on bribery and rent-seeking.
US President Donald Trump threatened to “rescue” the Iranian protesters on 2 January, adding that Washington was “locked and loaded and ready to go” if Iran “shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom.”
The Mossad also publicly urged Iranians to go out in the streets, saying, “we are with you.”
The Head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, fired back at the US president’s comments in a statement.
“Iran clearly distinguishes between protesting business owners and destructive elements seeking to exploit unrest. Foreign intervention would fundamentally alter the situation. Trump should be fully aware that US involvement in the internal issue would result in regional instability and the erosion of American interests,” Larijani said.
He went on to warn Trump to “be mindful of the safety of US soldiers.”
Ali Shamkhani, political advisor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, said that “the Iranian people know very well the American ‘rescue experience,’ from Iraq and Afghanistan to Gaza.”
Shamkhani warned that “any hand that interferes and tries to approach under the pretext of Iran’s security will be cut off before it reaches its destination, with a response that the aggressor will regret.”
“Our military power today is far greater than during the 12-day war [with Israel], and if any threat is directed at our country, we will respond to it decisively and without consideration,” Iran’s Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said on Friday.
“Our missile capability is not something that can be destroyed, neither by bombs nor by negotiations,” he added.
Washington has demanded that any nuclear deal with Tehran include a curb on the Iranian missile program and an end to uranium enrichment. As a result, the Islamic Republic has ruled out negotiations until the terms are dropped.
Recent reports have said Iran is working to build up and enhance its stockpile of ballistic missiles, which caused extensive damage across Israel and hit multiple key military sites during the 12-day war in June.
Iran also responded to the US attacks on its nuclear sites during the war with a missile operation targeting Washington’s Al-Udeid base in Qatar.
According to a new report by Israel’s Channel 12, Tel Aviv is preparing for the possibility of a “sudden” conflict with Iran.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, currently in the US, has discussed potential new strikes on the Islamic Republic with Trump. During a press conference earlier this week, Trump said he would potentially support a new Israeli attack.
A senior Israeli official told Channel 12 that the situation in Iran is being “closely monitored,” but that it is too early to predict the consequences. The report added that Israeli military leaders are accelerating preparations for a potential multi-front war, including Iran, Lebanon, and the occupied West Bank.
