US president threatens Iran with ‘very hard’ retaliation if protesters killed
US President Donald Trump has warned Iran, vowing the United States would retaliate "very hard" if the Iranian government begins killing protesters
WASHINGTON, United States (MNTV) – US President Donald Trump has warned Iran, vowing the United States would retaliate “very hard” if the Iranian government begins killing protesters.
The warning comes as demonstrations over a severe economic crisis enter their second week, with independent reports indicating dozens of fatalities and thousands of arrests.
Trump has escalated rhetorical tensions with Iran, publicly threatening severe retaliation if Iranian authorities use lethal force against anti-government demonstrators.
In a radio interview on Thursday, Trump stated, “If they start killing people, which they tend to do during their riots… we’re going to hit them very hard,” adding that Tehran has been warned it would “have to pay hell” for such actions.
The US administration presented a two-pronged message. Alongside Trump’s blunt warning, Vice President JD Vance struck a more diplomatic tone at a separate White House briefing. He expressed US support for “anybody who’s engaged in peaceful protests… advocating for their rights” worldwide.
However, Vance quickly pivoted to the issue of Iran’s nuclear program, stating the “smartest thing” for Tehran would be to engage in “a real negotiation” with Washington, linking the domestic unrest to long-standing geopolitical tensions.
The statements respond to a sustained protest movement that has shaken Iran for nearly two weeks. The unrest began on December 28 at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, triggered by the catastrophic depreciation of the national currency, the rial, which recently slid past 1,350,000 against the US dollar. The protests over worsening living conditions have since spread to numerous other cities.
Iranian authorities have not released official casualty figures, creating an information vacuum.
Independent monitoring groups have attempted to document the human cost. The Human Rights Activists News Agency reported that by the 11th day of protests, at least 38 people had been killed, including four members of the security forces, with dozens injured and over 2,200 arrests made.
Iranian state media, meanwhile, has focused on injuries to security personnel, reporting 568 police officers and 66 paramilitary Basij forces wounded.
The Iranian government has maintained official silence on the protests for days, even as they intensify, while condemning US comments as unacceptable interference in its internal affairs.
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