Trump warns Iran if it kills protesters: 'We are locked and loaded and ready to go'

President Donald Trump warned the Iranian regime Friday that he will respond if the Islamic country's authorities kill protesters, while Iranian leaders noted that any intervention could destabilize the region.

Since Sunday, Iran has been experiencing strong demonstrations stemming from the high cost of living. The protests began with the closure of stores in Tehran, the capital, but soon spread to other sectors and areas of the country.

According to local media reports, at least six people, including a member of the security forces, were killed Thursday during protests in the west of the country. These incidents represent the first deaths recorded since the demonstrations began.

Trump: "We are locked and loaded and ready to go"

"If Iran shots [sic] and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue," the president wrote Friday on Truth Social. "We are locked and loaded and ready to go," he stressed.

Regime reacts

The Republican leader's remarks provoked an immediate response from two advisors to Iran's supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.

"Iran's national security is a red line," said Ali Shamkhani, the country's advisor for political affairs, on X. "Any hand that intervenes and tries to approach under the pretext of Iran’s security will be cut off before it gets there," he added.

Another advisor, Ali Larijani, added on the same platform that "Trump should know that U.S. interference in this internal matter would mean destabilizing the entire region and destroying America’s interests."

Legitimate protests

In recent days, Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian called the protests "legitimate" and said he had asked the Interior Ministry to address the demonstrators' demands.

"From an Islamic point of view, ... if we do not solve the problem of people's livelihood, we will end up in hell," he said in a speech broadcast on television.

However, several officials signaled that they would act forcefully in the face of any signs of instability.