Trump, Iran Trade Threats as Protesters Seek Economic Relief (2)

President Donald Trump suggested the US is ready to aid protesters in Iran if authorities crack down on the unrest, prompting a top Iranian official to threaten retaliation against US forces in the region.

Trump’s comments in an early-morning Truth Social post — including a warning that the US is “locked and loaded and ready to go” — rhetorically inject his administration into a swell of protests against worsening economic conditions that set off clashes between security forces and civilians across Iran.

Ali Larijani, a veteran politician who heads Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, responded on X that the ...