Iran has reacted with fury to Trump’s warning that the US is ‘locked and loaded’ to defend ‘peaceful protesters’, sparking fears that war could break out and trigger global conflict
Iran has expressed rage following bombshell comments from US President Donald Trump, fuelling fears that US intervention to protect Iranian demonstrators could spiral into a catastrophic global conflict. Fears of World War 3 have surged after a senior Iranian official issued a chilling response to Trump’s threat to help protesters flooding Iran’s streets.
Protestors are speaking out amid a cost-of-living crisis and soaring inflation. The official warned on Friday (January 2) that the Islamic Republic could retaliate against American bases and troops in the region.
The speaker of Iran’s parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter): “The disrespectful President of America should also know that with this official admission, all American centres and forces across the entire region will be legitimate targets for us in response to any potential adventurism.”
Ghalibaf was reacting to Trump’s warning on Truth Social, the president’s social media platform, where Trump declared that his administration is “locked and loaded and ready to go” to intervene and protect “peaceful protesters” if Iranian authorities open fire and “violently kill” them, according to US political website The Hill.
At least seven people have been killed in violence surrounding demonstrations that have taken place for nearly a week, according to the AP.
Trump imposed sanctions on Iranian officials in 2019 in response to the regime’s violence against protesters, part of a “maximum pressure campaign” to squeeze the country’s ability to fund its nuclear programs.
Tensions ratcheted up further in June with the US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites alongside Israeli strikes on the country. Iran retaliated at the time by launching an attack on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which hosts American troops.
No one was injured but the attack caused some damage. President Trump claimed at the time that the US strikes “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
However, he claimed on Monday (December 29) that Iran was rebuilding itself. He warned that the US “can’t let them build up because if they build up, there can’t be peace in the Middle East”, according to The Hill.
The Hill added a statement on X by Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, accusing Trump and Israel of exploiting the protests to launch new attacks on Iran.
He wrote: “With statements from Israeli officials and [Trump], what was happening behind the scenes has become clear.”
“We distinguish between the position of the protesting merchants and the actions of the sabotage elements, and Trump must realise that US intervention in this internal matter will lead to destabilising the entire region and destroying American interests.”
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