Tehran [Iran], January 2 : Iranian officials on Friday sharply rebuked US President Donald Trump and the Israeli Foreign Ministry for their statements regarding the ongoing protests in the country, warning that any foreign intervention in its internal affairs would be met with a "regrettable response".
They further asserted that the country's national security is a "red line" not subject to "adventurous tweets".
Ali Shamkhani, Political Advisor to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution and representative of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the Defence Council, in a post on X, said that Iran's national security was a red line and not open to external interference.
He further slammed the US President over his "rescue" call, noting that Iranian citizens were "well familiar" with Americans coming for rescue, citing previous US military actions in Iran and Afghanistan.
The people of Iran are well familiar with the experience of "rescuing" Americans, from Iraq and Afghanistan to Gaza. Every hand of intervention that approaches Iranian Security with excuses will be cut off with a regrettable Response before it arrives. Iran's national security is a red line, not the subject of adventurous tweets, Shamkhani said.
Meanwhile, Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, accused the US and Israel of fuelling instability through their statements, adding that Iran knows how to differentiate between protesting shopkeepers and what he termed "disruptive actors".
"With the statements by Israeli officials and Donald Trump, what has been going on behind the scenes is now clear. We distinguish between the stance of the protesting shopkeepers and the actions of disruptive actors," Larijani said in a post on X.
He further warned that any US interference would have far-reaching consequences, reiterating Shamkhani's statement.
"Trump should know that US interference in this internal matter would mean destabilising the entire region and destroying America's interests. The American people should know Trump started this adventurism. They should be mindful of their soldiers' safety," the Secretary added.
The Iranian reactions come after Trump, in a post on Truth Social, warned Tehran against the use of force on protesters.
The US President's statement comes at a time when Iranian citizens took to the streets to protest against rising prices and economic hardship across several provinces, with some protests escalating into fatal confrontations with security forces, as reported by CNN.
Trump, in his post, stated that the US is "locked and loaded" to respond if Iranian authorities use violence against "peaceful protesters".
"If Iran shots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" Trump's post read.
Israel also issued sharp remarks in support of the protesters.
In posts in Farsi, Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the Iranian people took to the streets with a "resounding voice," adding that Iranians do not want a government that, according to Israel, has spent resources on groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis at the cost of the country's economy.
"The people of Iran are today in the streets with a resounding voice. There are hundreds of reasons, including the fact that they do not want this government, a government that poured their money down the throats of the terrorists of Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, and dragged their economy to the depths of destruction for nuclear ambitions. The people of Iran deserve better than this," the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a post on X in Farsi.
In another post, the ministry said, "The rise of the lion-men and lion-women of Iran for the battle against darkness. Light is victorious over darkness."
Meanwhile, deadly clashes have been reported across several provinces in Iran as protesters reportedly clashed with police, hurled stones at officers and torched vehicles, according to Fars News Agency.
The outlet alleged that some armed "disturbers" exploited the gatherings. Without offering proof, Fars claimed authorities later seized firearms from several individuals.
Earlier, Fars reported that at least two people were killed during clashes between dozens of protesters and police in Lordegan county in the southwestern Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province.
It was not immediately clear whether those killed were protesters or security personnel. Unconfirmed videos shared online appeared to show demonstrators throwing stones at uniformed police in the area. Fars alleged that protesters targeted the governor's office, banks, and other state buildings, according to CNN.
The earliest reported fatality linked to the unrest occurred on Wednesday night, when a member of Iran's Basij paramilitary force was killed and 13 others injured in the city of Kuhdasht in Lorestan province as shop owners, bazaar traders and university students joined demonstrations and took to the streets chanting slogans against the government over economic hardship after the national currency plunged to historic lows.
The unrest marks the largest demonstrations since the nationwide protests of 2022, which erupted after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody following her arrest for allegedly violating Iran's headscarf rules.
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