'Will be hitting them very hard where it hurts...': Trump warns Iran, says US watching situation closely

Washington DC [US], January 10 : United States President Donald Trump said on Friday (local time) that the situation in Iran is being monitored very closely and hoped for the protestors in the country to be safe. He warned that if protestors were killed, the US would get involved and would hit the country where it hurts.

Trump made the remarks while responding to media questions during a meeting with top oil and gas executives at the White House.

When asked about Iran, he said, "Iran's in big trouble. It looks to me that the people are taking over certain cities that nobody thought were really possible. We're watching the situation very carefully. I made the statement very strongly that if they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved. We will be hitting them very hard where it hurts, and that doesn't mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very hard where it hurts so we don't want that to happen."

The US President further said, "But this is something pretty incredible that is happening in Iran. It's an amazing thing to watch. They've done a bad job, they have treated their people very badly and now they are being paid back, so, let's see what happens. We are watching it very closely".

On the protestors, Trump said, "I just hope the protestors in Iran are going to be safe because it is a very dangerous place right now and again I tell the Iranian leaders you better not start shooting because we'll start shooting too".

According to Policy research organisation, Institute for the study of War, protest activity in Iran has expanded dramatically in both rate and magnitude since January 7, including in major cities like Tehran and in northwestern Iran. The think tank further said that the regime has intensified its crackdown including by taking the rare step of using the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Ground Forces to suppress protests in at least one province.

Earlier on January 9, Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei accused the US administration of being behind the large-scale protests in Iran. Speaking at a public interaction, Khamenei said protestors were acting to please the President of America.

"There are also those whose work is destruction. Last night in Tehran, and in some other places, a bunch of vandals came and destroyed a building belonging to their own country. For example, suppose they destroyed a certain building or a wall, just to please the President of America. Because he said... some irrelevant nonsense... that "if the government of Iran does such and such, I will come to the side... I will take your side." The side of these rioters and individuals who are harmful to the country. These people have their hopes pinned on him. If he can, let him manage his own country! In his own country, various incidents are occurring," Khamenei was reported as saying by Iranian state media.

The Ayatollah also accused US President Trump of acting like a despot and said that despots are deposed at the peak of their pride.

He said, "Our nation does not tolerate mercenaryism for foreigners. Whoever you may be, once you become a mercenary for a foreigner, once you work for a foreigner, the nation considers you rejected. As for that fellow (Trump) who sits there with arrogance and pride, passing judgment on the whole world, he should also know that usually, the despots and arrogant powers of the worldsuch as Pharaoh, Nimrod, Reza Khan, Mohammad Reza, and the likes of themwere overthrown exactly when they were at the peak of their pride. This one will be overthrown as well."

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