President Donald Trump said that the United States would come to the “rescue” if Iranian forces began shooting protesters, as demonstrations against the regime continued for a sixth consecutive day.  

Sparked by economic unrest, protests first broke out last weekend in Tehran with groups chanting “death to the dictator” and “freedom.” Seven people, including protesters and government forces, have been killed so far, according to reports. 

“If Iran shots [sic] and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue,” Trump posted on Truth Social early Friday morning. “We are locked and loaded and ready to go. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Trump’s warning comes as he has continued to take an aggressive approach to Iran, saying earlier this week that he would support more Israeli military strikes on the country if Tehran continues to develop ballistic missiles or pursue nuclear capabilities.

In response to Trump’s post, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said any intervention by America would exacerbate instability in the area while accusing the United States and Israel of encouraging the disorder. 

“With the statements by Israeli officials and Donald Trump, what has been going on behind the scenes is now clear. We distinguish between the stance of the protesting shopkeepers and the actions of disruptive actors, and Trump should know that U.S. interference in this internal matter would mean destabilizing the entire region and destroying America’s interests,” he posted on X. “The American people should know — Trump started this adventurism. They should be mindful of their soldiers’ safety.”

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Much of the violence has occurred in Western Iran, where a local official promised that protesters would be treated “decisively and without leniency,” Reuters reported. Dozens of protesters, including women and children, have been arrested. 

On Thursday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the protests were the result of the government’s failure to address skyrocketing inflation and widespread economic anxiety. 

“We are to blame… Do not look for America or anyone else to blame. We must serve properly so that people are satisfied with us…. It is us who have to find a solution to these problems,” he said, Reuters reported. 

Iran’s currency has reportedly dropped to 1.42 million to the dollar, a loss of more than 56% over six months, fueling soaring inflation and driving food prices up 72% from last year.

Russia and Ukraine accused each other of targeting civilians over the New Year, with Moscow reporting a deadly strike on a hotel in territory it occupies in southern Ukraine while Kyiv said there had been another broad attack on its power supplies.

The reports coincide with intensive talks overseen by U.S. President Donald Trump and aimed at bringing an end to the nearly four-year-old war. Each country has said the other is doing all it can to influence his views and shape the outcome.

“On New Year, Russia deliberately brings war. Over 200 attack drones were launched onto Ukraine in the night,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram, saying energy infrastructure in seven regions across Ukraine had been targeted.

Russia accused Ukraine of killing at least 24 people, including a child, in a drone strike on a hotel and cafe where civilians were seeing in the New Year in a Russian-controlled part of the Kherson region in southern Ukraine.

Ukraine’s military, which has accused Russia of killing many civilians in its own attacks on Ukrainian cities, said it targeted strictly military and energy targets, but made no specific reference to accounts of the strike on the hotel.

Zelensky said that Russia’s holiday season attacks showed Ukraine could not afford delays in air defense supplies.

“(Our) allies have the names of equipment which we are lacking. We expect that everything agreed with the United States at the end of December for our defense will arrive on time,” he said, without clarifying further.

Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-installed governor of the region, said three Ukrainian drones had hit the celebrations in Khorly, a coastal village, in what he said was a “deliberate strike” against civilians. He said that many people had been burnt alive.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said that as well as the 24 dead, 50 people had been injured.

It said the strike, as well as other drone attacks blamed on Ukraine, sought to “divert attention from the failures of the Ukrainian military at the front. The Kyiv regime is trying to prove its viability through terrorist acts.”

On Monday, Moscow accused Kyiv of trying to strike a residence of President Vladimir Putin. Ukrainian and European officials have said the incident did not happen and U.S. security officials were also reported to have found that Ukraine did not target the residence.

A senior Russian military chief handed to a U.S. military attache what he said was part of a Ukrainian drone containing data he said proved that the Ukrainian military had targeted the residence.

Reuters was not able to immediately verify the reported Kherson region attack or photographs of what Saldo’s press service said was the aftermath on Thursday. Saldo said he had briefed Putin on the details of the attack.

The images showed at least one dead body was visible beneath a white sheet. The building showed signs that a fire had raged and there were what looked like blood stains on the ground. Russia’s TASS news agency published video showing drone fragments, some with Ukrainian writing on them.

Ukrainian officials regularly report civilian deaths from Russian air attacks, including in the Ukrainian-held city of Kherson, which lies near the front line.

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The Ukrainian governor of Kherson region, Oleksandr Prokudin, said that one man had been killed and an 87-year-old woman injured in attacks on the city on Thursday.

Ukraine’s deputy prime minister Oleksiy Kuleba said rail facilities had been attacked in three regions.

The Russian Defence Ministry said on Thursday its strikes had hit military targets, as well as energy infrastructure which it claimed was being used to support Ukraine’s military.

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, told TASS that those who carried out the hotel attack and their commanders should be targeted.

Kherson is one of four regions in Ukraine which Russia claimed as its own in 2022, a move Kyiv and most Western countries denounced as an illegal land grab.

Moscow’s Mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said Russian air defence units had downed 35 Ukrainian drones over the past 24 hours. He reported no casualties or damage.

(Reporting by Max Hunder and Reuters bureaux; writing by Philippa Fletcher; editing by Ros Russell and Ron Popeski)