Iran’s parliament speaker has issued a stark warning that American military installations and personnel across the region could become targets if the United States pursues aggressive measures. The Friday threat came as protests have rocked Iran since Sunday, claiming seven lives and drawing intervention warnings from President Trump.
Violent confrontations that have rocked the nation began when demonstrations erupted over Iran’s deteriorating economic situation. The protests initially started in Tehran with shopkeepers criticizing government policies but have spread nationwide as citizens express anger over currency collapse and rampant inflation.
Trump’s warning that Washington would intervene should Iranian authorities use deadly force against demonstrators has inflamed tensions with Tehran’s leadership. A senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei responded by predicting that any US involvement would trigger chaos throughout the Middle East.
The protests that have rocked Iran are rooted in severe economic distress. The rial has collapsed to approximately 1.4 million per US dollar, while official data shows inflation hit 42.5 percent in December. Combined with weak economic growth, these conditions have severely eroded citizens’ standard of living and created widespread frustration.
President Pezeshkian’s administration has attempted to project understanding as protests have rocked the nation. In televised comments, Pezeshkian invoked Islamic principles to argue that addressing livelihood concerns carries serious moral weight. However, he has been transparent about his government’s severely limited options to reverse the currency crisis. The prosecutor general has tried to distinguish legitimate economic protests from security threats, promising decisive action only against the latter.