Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: As Iran descends into likely anarchy due to the increasing killings during the ongoing popular agitation against hyperinflation, unemployment, currency crash, acute water crisis, and the Ayatollah’s dictatorship, US President Donald Trump on Thursday warned Tehran that America is “locked, loaded, and ready to go,” against the Islamist regime.
Indirectly saying America could step in if Iran continues to kill peaceful protesters, he also warned the Shia-dominated country against rebuilding its nuclear programme, the media reported on Friday.
“We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social account.
His statement comes after seven reported deaths in clashes between protesters and security forces since fresh demonstrations began on Sunday. The protests first broke out in Tehran when shopkeepers took to the streets over the government’s handling of a sharp fall in the currency, weak economic growth, and rising prices.
Iran’s inflation officially touched 42.5 percent in December, adding to public anger, while its currency crashed to nearly 42,000 rials per US dollar, the media reported.
Gen Z joins traders
The protests gained momentum on Tuesday after students from at least 10 universities and Gen Z joined the protests. Several markets were shut as unrest spread. Panicked, the government also declared a holiday, citing cold weather, which effectively brought large parts of the country to a halt.
The worst violence was reported from Azna City in Iran’s Lorestan province, about 300 kilometres southwest of the national capital Tehran. Videos circulating online appeared to show fires burning on streets and gunshots ringing out, while people shouted “Shameless! Shameless!”
These protests are the largest Iran has witnessed since 2022, when the death of 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, in police custody, sparked nationwide protests by angry women who refused to wear a veil and even publicly chopped their hair. Iran’s theocratic regime brutally crushed their agitation, killing hundreds of them.
The current unrest has not yet spread across the entire country and remains less intense than the movement triggered by Amini’s death. She was detained by police over how she wore her hijab, or headscarf.
Trump warns Iran on n- programme
On Tuesday, while welcoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to his Florida residence in the US, Trump also warned Tehran against rebuilding its nuclear programme, which suffered significant damage during the June 2025 hostilities between Iran and the US-Israel combine.
The US President has repeatedly claimed that US strikes in June fully destroyed Iran’s key nuclear enrichment sites. However, Israeli officials have reportedly raised concerns that Iran may be trying to rebuild its long-range missile capabilities that could target Israel.
“Now I hear that Iran is trying to build up again,” Trump told reporters as he welcomed Netanyahu to his Mar-a-Lago estate. “And if they are, we’re going to have to knock them down. We’ll knock them down. We’ll knock the hell out of them. But hopefully that’s not happening,” Trump said.
Iran for talks; Israel seeks action
Iran has said it is no longer enriching uranium at any location, signalling to the West that it remains open to talks over its nuclear programme. Despite this, Netanyahu was expected to raise the possibility of further military action against Tehran, just months after a 12-day conflict between the two sides.
Trump also criticised Iran for failing to agree to a deal to completely dismantle its nuclear programme before the US and Israeli strikes earlier this year.