US Weighs Iran Intervention Amid Deadly Protests, Trump Warns "Locked and Loaded"

The discussions come amid sustained protests across Iranian cities and recent US actions in Venezuela that appear to have influenced regional strategic calculations.

Iran has experienced periodic waves of demonstrations, driven by economic pressures, political repression, and dissatisfaction with clerical rule. While Iranian authorities have previously succeeded in suppressing similar movements, the persistence of the demonstrations has renewed international attention, writes The Jerusalem Post.

According to a report in the Times of Israel, the death toll in violence surrounding protests in Iran has risen to at least 35 people.

The Times of Israel quoted the figures from the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which says more than 1,200 people have been detained in the protests, which have been ongoing for more than a week.

It says 29 protesters, four children and two members of Iran's security forces have been killed. Demonstrations have reached over 250 locations in 27 of Iran's 31 provinces.

The Iranian Fars news agency, reported that 250 police officers and 45 members of the all-volunteer Basij force have been hurt in the demonstrations.

On January 2, US President Donald Trump said that the United States is "locked and loaded" to respond if Iranian authorities use violence against peaceful protesters, as demonstrations over worsening economic conditions spread across multiple provinces in Iran.

In a Truth Social Post, Trump wrote, "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. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

Meanwhile, Iran's erstwhile crown Prince in Exile, Reza Pahlvi has been taking an active role in pushing protestors to take on the Khamnei regime.

In a post on X on Monday he said, "Dear compatriots, The shooting of the brave and noble people of Malekshahi, the killing of the city's youth, and the subsequent cowardly attack by the regime's mercenaries on Ilam Hospital, are an unmistakable crime that recalls the massacre of the people of Zahedan on Bloody Friday in 2022. A regime that kills unarmed young people and raids medical centres clearly has no legitimacy, and is nearing its end. To the suffering and patriotic people of Malekshahi and Ilam: I stand with you in grief and solidarity, and I assure you that Khamenei and the corrupt, murderous ringleaders of the Islamic Republic will pay the price for this crime."

Additionally, Pahlvi told the Wall Street Journal, "I've stepped in to lead this transition... It's about self-determination... freedom... rebuilding our country."

Trump's action against Nicolas Maduro has further emboldened Iranian protestors placing the Middle-East in a tense situation.

- ANI