‘We Are Locked and Loaded’: Trump Sends Powerful Message to Iran Over Violent Protest Response

Tensions between the United States and Iran escalated overnight after President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Tehran over roiling protests in the Islamic Republic.

According to the New York Post, economic protests have shaken Iran.

The current unrest marks Iran’s most widespread outbreak of public opposition since the wave of protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini while in custody in late 2022, per EuroNews. At the time, demonstrations erupted across the country, cutting through social, regional, and generational lines.

Those protests persisted for months before the Iranian government ultimately moved to crush them through force and mass arrests. The memory of that crackdown looms large now, as fresh demonstrations raise fears of another violent response from authorities.

In a post on , Trump vowed that the U.S. would “come to their rescue” should Iran crack down on peaceful demonstrators, underscoring a renewed posture of deterrence.

Donald J. Trump 01.02.26 02:58 AM

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! President…

— Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From (@TrumpDailyPosts) January 2, 2026

“If Iran [shoots] and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue,” Trump posted.

He then added, “We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” before ending with his trademark, “Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

The message, blunt and unmistakable in tone, reflects Trump’s long-standing approach to Iran: confront aggression early, project strength publicly, and leave little doubt about American resolve.

By pairing a human rights warning with a clear show of military readiness, the president framed the issue not as provocation, but as a red line — one rooted in protecting civilians and signaling that the era of cautious ambiguity toward Tehran is over.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the message did not go over well with at least one top Iranian official.

Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, responded on X and effectively accused Israel and the U.S. of stoking these protests.

(Of note, Larijani provided no proof or evidence of this claim.)

With the statements by Israeli officials and @realDonaldTrump, 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, and Trump should know that U.S. interference in this… pic.twitter.com/uu9R20KFFv

— Ali Larijani | علی لاریجانی (@alilarijani_ir) January 2, 2026

“With the statements by Israeli officials and [Trump], what has been going on behind the scenes is now clear,” Larijani posted. “We distinguish between the stance of the protesting shopkeepers and the actions of disruptive actors, and Trump should know that U.S. interference in this internal matter would mean destabilizing 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 claims mirror a familiar line from Tehran, which has routinely attributed internal dissent to outside manipulation rather than domestic grievances.

As demonstrations continue and rhetoric on both sides hardens, the standoff underscores a volatile moment: a regime facing renewed public anger at home and an American president signaling that any violent crackdown will not go unnoticed.

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