Iran raises tension, says US bases and troops are ‘legitimate targets’ if Trump intervenes in protests

Trump threatens to intervene in Iran over repression of protests The head of Iran’s parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said this Friday (2) that US bases and troops in the Middle East are “legitimate targets” of Iranian attacks if Donald Trump actually intervenes in the government’s reaction to protesters in the country. The President of the United States stated this Friday that the United States may act if the Iranian government uses lethal violence against demonstrators who have been protesting across the country since the beginning of the week. “The disrespectful American president must know that with this official admission, all American centers and forces throughout the region will be our legitimate targets in response to any possible adventure; Iranians are always united and determined to act against the aggressor enemy,” Ghalibaf wrote on social media. In the message, he accuses foreign intelligence services of turning legitimate popular protests into violent urban battles to destabilize the Iranian regime. 📱Download the g1 app to see news in real time and for free In a post on the social network Truth Social, Trump said that the US is “ready to act” if people protesting peacefully are killed. Trump’s statement comes after the deaths of seven people during a wave of protests in Iran, considered the biggest in the last three years. The demonstrations began due to the economic crisis in the country and ended up becoming violent in several regions (read more below). After Trump’s threat, the Iranian government spoke out and said that any US intervention in the Middle Eastern country is a “red line”. Iran’s Foreign Minister had already stated that his country “will not accept any external interference.” CRISIS, HIGH INFLATION, WAR: what is behind the demonstrations in Iran that have already left 7 dead Wave of protests The protests began on Sunday (28), when traders began to complain about the government’s management of the economy, especially the strong devaluation of the local currency and the increase in prices. The protests gained strength on Monday (29), when hundreds of people took to the streets to complain about the economic crisis and the high cost of living. In Tehran, traders joined the demonstrations and closed stores in protest. With the support of students, the events spread to other regions of the country. Faced with pressure, President Masoud Pezeshkian’s government reported that it had opened a channel of dialogue with representatives of society to listen to the population’s demands. “We officially recognize the protests. We hear these voices and we know that this originates from natural pressure caused by the population’s difficulties in supporting themselves,” said the government spokeswoman on Tuesday. The Iranian economy has been struggling for years. One of the main reasons was the return of United States sanctions in 2018, after Trump, in his first term, decided to withdraw the country from the international nuclear agreement. Protesters marched in the center of Tehran, Iran, against the country’s economic situation, on December 29, 2025 Fars via AP

Source link