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The former president has threatened to intervene in the Islamic Republic should its regime harm protesters, leading to warnings from senior Iranian officials that any involvement from Washington would violate a critical boundary.

A Public Statement Fuels Diplomatic Strain

In a public declaration on recently, the former president said that if Iran were to fire upon demonstrators, the America would “intervene on their behalf”. He noted, “we are prepared to act,” without detailing what that would involve in actual terms.

Unrest Enter the Next Phase Amid Economic Crisis

Public unrest are now in their sixth day, marking the biggest in several years. The current unrest were sparked by an steep fall in the Iranian rial on recently, with its worth dropping to about 1.4m to the US dollar, intensifying an existing financial crisis.

Seven people have been lost their lives, including a volunteer for the paramilitary organization. Footage circulate showing security forces carrying shotguns, with the audio of gunfire heard in the recordings.

Iranian Leaders Issue Stark Warnings

Reacting to Trump’s threat, Ali Shamkhani, adviser to the country's highest authority, warned that Iran’s national security were a “red line, not material for adventurist tweets”.

“Any external involvement targeting Iran security on false pretenses will be cut off with a swift consequence,” the official posted.

Another senior Iranian official, the secretary of Iran’s supreme national security council, alleged the US and Israel of having a hand in the demonstrations, a typical response by the government when addressing domestic dissent.

“Washington needs to know that American involvement in this internal issue will lead to turmoil in the Middle East and the harm to US assets,” Larijani declared. “The public must know that Trump is the one that initiated this provocation, and they should be concerned for the safety of their soldiers.”

Context of Tensions and Protest Nature

Tehran has previously warned against US troops stationed in the Middle East in the before, and in recent months it launched strikes on Al-Udeid airbase in the Gulf after the US struck related infrastructure.

The present unrest have been centered in Tehran but have also spread to other urban centers, such as Isfahan. Business owners have shuttered businesses in solidarity, and youth have gathered on campuses. Though economic conditions are the primary complaint, demonstrators have also voiced calls for change and condemned what they said was failures by officials.

Official Response Evolves

The head of state, Masoud Pezeshkian, initially invited protest leaders, taking a softer stance than the government did during the previous unrest, which were met with force. He said that he had instructed the government to listen to the demonstrators' core grievances.

The loss of life of demonstrators, however, may indicate that officials are adopting a tougher stance as they address the protests as they persist. A announcement from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps on Monday warned that it would act decisively against any external involvement or “sedition” in the country.

As the government grapple with protests at home, it has attempted to refute allegations from the United States that it is rebuilding its nuclear programme. Officials has said that it is ceased such work domestically and has indicated it is ready for talks with the west.