Washington —
US President Donald Trump has issued a renewed warning to the Iranian government, saying it would face “very severe” military strikes if it resorts to killing protesters amid the ongoing nationwide demonstrations.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday (January 9, local time), Trump said the Iranian government was “in big trouble,” claiming that protesters may have taken control of several cities—an unthinkable scenario just weeks ago.
“We are watching the situation very closely,” Trump said. “Iran is in big trouble. It looks to me like protesters may have taken control of many cities. That’s something nobody would have imagined a few weeks ago.”
The US president warned that Washington would intervene if Tehran repeats past actions against demonstrators. “I’ve sent a very strong message,” he said. “If they start killing protesters like before, we will get involved. That doesn’t mean our troops will go into Iran, but it does mean we will strike them very hard—very hard—where it hurts the most.”
Trump added that the United States does not want such an escalation but placed responsibility squarely on the Iranian authorities. Calling the ongoing protests
“extraordinary,” he accused the government of long-term mistreatment of its citizens.
“What’s happening in Iran is quite extraordinary,” Trump said. “The Iranian government has behaved very badly. They treated their people terribly, and now they are getting an answer.”
The remarks come amid escalating unrest across Iran, with reports of deadly clashes, arson attacks on mosques, and mass demonstrations in Tehran and other major cities.
