Trump and top Iranian officials exchange threats over protests roiling Iran

On January 2, 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump and top Iranian officials exchanged dueling threats amid widening economic protests in Iran. Trump warned on Truth Social that if Iran 'violently kills peaceful protesters,' the U.S. 'will come to their rescue,' adding 'We are locked and loaded and ready to go.' At least seven people had been killed in the protests, sparked by the collapse of Iran's rial, which hit 1.4 million rials per U.S. dollar. Iranian Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani responded on X, accusing the U.S. and Israel of stoking the unrest without providing evidence. Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned that 'any interventionist hand that gets too close to the security of Iran will be cut.' The protests, now in their sixth day, are the largest since 2022 but have not yet reached nationwide intensity. Iran's reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian acknowledged limited ability to address the economic crisis, while months after a June war with Israel, Iran claimed to have ceased uranium enrichment at all sites.