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The former president has threatened to intervene in the Islamic Republic should its government harm demonstrators, resulting in cautionary statements from Iran's leadership that any involvement from Washington would cross a “red line”.

A Public Statement Ignites Diplomatic Strain

Through a online statement on recently, the former president declared that if the country were to shoot and kill demonstrators, the US would “come to their rescue”. He noted, “we are prepared to act,” without clarifying what that might mean in reality.

Unrest Enter the Sixth Day Amid Financial Crisis

Demonstrations across the nation are now in their latest phase, representing the biggest in recent memory. The current unrest were sparked by an steep fall in the country's money on Sunday, with its value dropping to about 1.4m to the US dollar, intensifying an already beleaguered economy.

Several citizens have been confirmed dead, including a volunteer for the Basij security force. Recordings reportedly show law enforcement armed with firearms, with the audio of gunfire present in the recordings.

National Leaders Issue Firm Warnings

Reacting to Trump’s threat, Ali Shamkhani, counselor for the supreme leader, cautioned that the nation's sovereignty were a “non-negotiable limit, not material for adventurist tweets”.

“Any external involvement targeting the country's stability on any excuse will be met with a swift consequence,” the official wrote.

A separate high-ranking figure, the secretary of Iran’s supreme national security council, alleged the outside actors of being involved in the protests, a common refrain by officials when addressing protests.

“Washington needs to know that foreign interference in this domestic matter will lead to destabilisation of the whole region and the damage to American interests,” Larijani wrote. “The American people must know that Trump is the one that began this escalation, and they should consider the well-being of their troops.”

Background of Strain and Demonstration Scale

The nation has vowed to strike foreign forces stationed in the region in the before, and in June it attacked a facility in the Gulf following the US struck its nuclear facilities.

The present unrest have been centered in the capital but have also extended to other cities, such as Isfahan. Business owners have closed their stores in solidarity, and activists have taken over campuses. Though financial hardship are the main issue, demonstrators have also voiced political demands and decried what they said was failures by officials.

Presidential Stance Changes

The head of state, Masoud Pezeshkian, initially invited demonstration organizers, taking a more conciliatory tone than the government did during the earlier demonstrations, which were put down harshly. He noted that he had directed the government to listen to the people's valid concerns.

The loss of life of protesters, could, could signal that officials are becoming more forceful against the unrest as they continue. A statement from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps on recently warned that it would take a harsh line against any foreign interference or “sedition” in the country.

While the government deal with protests at home, it has sought to counter claims from the US that it is rebuilding its nuclear activities. Tehran has claimed that it is ceased such work anywhere in the country and has indicated it is willing to engage in talks with the international community.