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The former president has warned of involvement in Iran if its regime use lethal force against demonstrators, prompting admonishments from senior Iranian officials that any American interference would overstep a definitive limit.

A Social Media Post Fuels Tensions

Through a social media post on Friday, the former president stated that if the country were to shoot and kill demonstrators, the United States would “intervene on their behalf”. He further stated, “we are prepared to act,” without detailing what that might mean in practice.

Protests Continue into the Next Phase Against a Backdrop of Financial Crisis

Public unrest are now in their latest phase, representing the largest in recent memory. The current unrest were triggered by an unprecedented decline in the national currency on Sunday, with its worth plummeting to about a historic low, worsening an precarious economic situation.

Multiple individuals have been reported killed, among them a volunteer for the Basij security force. Footage circulate showing law enforcement armed with shotguns, with the audio of gunfire present in the recordings.

Tehran's Leaders Deliver Strong Rebukes

Reacting to Trump’s threat, a top adviser, counselor for the country's highest authority, stated that the nation's sovereignty were a “definitive boundary, not fodder for reckless social media posts”.

“Any external involvement approaching the country's stability on any excuse will be cut off with a forceful retaliation,” the official posted.

A separate high-ranking figure, Ali Larijani, claimed the outside actors of having a hand in the protests, a common refrain by officials when addressing domestic dissent.

“Trump must realize that US intervention in this internal issue will lead to turmoil in the whole region and the harm to US assets,” Larijani wrote. “US citizens must know that the former president is the one that started this adventure, and they should consider the well-being of their troops.”

Context of Conflict and Demonstration Scale

Tehran has previously warned against US troops deployed in the region in the before, and in June it attacked Al-Udeid airbase in Qatar following the US struck Iranian nuclear enrichment sites.

The current protests have taken place in the capital but have also spread to other urban centers, such as Isfahan. Business owners have closed their stores in solidarity, and students have taken over university grounds. Though economic conditions are the main issue, protesters have also voiced calls for change and condemned what they said was failures by officials.

Presidential Stance Shifts

The head of state, the president, offered talks with protest leaders, taking a more conciliatory tone than the government did during the previous unrest, which were put down harshly. The president said that he had directed the administration to listen to the people's valid concerns.

The recent deaths of protesters, however, suggest that the state are becoming more forceful as they address the unrest as they continue. A communiqué from the state security apparatus on Monday cautioned that it would take a harsh line against any foreign interference or “sedition” in the country.

As the government grapple with internal challenges, it has tried to stave off allegations from the United States that it is reviving its nuclear programme. Tehran has claimed that it is no longer enriching uranium at present and has expressed it is ready for negotiations with the west.