Trump Warns Iran Against Crackdown as US Sanctions Drone Networks

In a 2.58 am (local time) social media post, Trump said the United States would intervene if Iranian security forces "shot and violently kill peaceful protesters," adding that Washington was "locked and loaded and ready to go."

"If Iran shots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go," Trump said on Truth Social.

The warning came as reports pointed to escalating unrest in Iran, with media reports of deadly clashes between demonstrators and security forces during nearly a week of unrest.

"Violence erupted between Iranian protesters and police during unrest on Thursday, leaving at least five dead on the fifth day of demonstrations over the country's economic crisis," The Wall Street Journal reported.

The daily said the demonstrations began on Sunday after merchants took to the streets to protest after a precipitous drop in the value of the rial, the country's currency. "International sanctions over Iran's refusal to pare back its nuclear ambitions have led to widespread economic problems, including high inflation and a devaluation of its currency," it said.

Reacting to Trump's social media post, li Larijani, Secretary of Iran's National Security Council, warned the US against such a move. "The American people must know that Trump is the one who started this adventure, and they should pay attention to the safety of their soldiers," he wrote on X.

"We distinguish between the position of the protesting merchants and the actions of the sabotage elements, and Trump must realize that US intervention in this internal matter will lead to destabilizing the entire region and destroying American interests," Larijani said.

Early this week, the US State Department announced sanctions against entities and individuals accused of supporting Iran's Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and ballistic missile programmes.

In a statement, Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the United States was sanctioning "ten entities and individuals based in Iran and Venezuela," including a Venezuelan company that had contributed to the sale of "millions of dollars' worth of Iranian-designed combat Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV)."

Pigott said the designations also included "entities and individuals linked to procurement networks that have supported Iran's UAV and ballistic missile programs."

"Iran's ongoing provision of conventional weapons to Caracas is a threat to US interests in our region," he said.

According to the State Department, the action underscored the importance of reimposing sanctions and restrictions on Iran under United Nations Security Council resolutions.

"The entities and individuals designated today demonstrate Iran is actively proliferating its combat UAVs and continues to procure missile-related items in violation of UN restrictions," the statement said.

The developments come against the backdrop of a long-running standoff between Washington and Tehran over Iran's nuclear program, missile development, and regional activities. The United States has repeatedly used sanctions and diplomatic pressure to try to curb Iran's weapons programmes.

- IANS