Trump vowed to protect Iranian protesters: Here's why they're demonstrating
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President Trump during a press conference on Dec. 28, 2025 in Palm Beach, Florida. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Protesters in Iran took to the streets for a sixth consecutive day Friday, as anger over the country's deepening economic crisis and violence against demonstrators spread nationwide.
Why it matters: President Trump signaled that the U.S. would intervene militarily if Iran's regime continues killing protesters — raising the risk of a broader regional escalation.
- The demonstrations are the country's biggest protest since 2022 when 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in police custody after allegedly violating a religious law requiring women to wear headscarves, though the economic demonstrations haven't yet reached the same scale.
Here's what to know.:
What spurred the protests
Iran's economy has endured extensive sanctions that limit access to international financial markets and force, which combined with the country's reliance on imports, has driven up prices and inflation.
Driving the news: In addition to an already strained economy, the Iranian rial plunged Sunday to a record low — 1.42 million to the dollar — sending prices soaring.
- The currency collapse prompted shop owners across the country to shut down businesses in protest, which grew to more than 30 Iranian cities and spread to smaller towns.
- As of Friday, at least 44 people had been arrested and at least seven had been killed, according to Türkiye Today.
- Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday called for the country to unify, saying that its enemies are to blame for Iran's economic instability.
The intrigue: The regime reappointed Abdolnaser Hemmati as central bank governor in an effort to stabilize the economy.
- Hemmati previously served in the role from 2018 to 2021, until then-President Hassan Rouhani removed him after Hemmati decided to run in Iran's 2021 presidential election.
Trump threatens intervention
What they're saying: Trump on Truth Social Thursday said, "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."
- It remains unclear whether the Trump administration has plans to follow through on the president's warning.
The other side: Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, responded on X that Trump's statement together with Israeli statements have made clear "what has been going on behind the scenes."
- He added that any U.S. intervention will "lead to destabilizing the entire region and destroying American interests."
Flashback: The U.S. military in June conducted airstrikes on three of Iran's nuclear facilities, an operation that Trump said "completely and totally obliterated" the country's uranium enrichment sites.
- Trump later called the 12-day operation a major success and said last week the U.S. would strike Iran again if the country attempts to rebuild its nuclear arsenal.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday also discussed the possibility of attacking Iran in 2026 with Trump, after Israel targeted Iran's conventional military assets.
Go deeper: Trump threatens military force if Iran kills protesters
