Warning on Iran unrest — Trump renewed warnings about possible U.S. intervention as protests intensify in Iran, spotlighting geopolitical risks.

WASHINGTON & TEHRAN — U.S. President Donald J. Trump on Sunday amplified his warnings to Iran’s leadership as nationwide protests intensified across the Islamic Republic, tying the explosive internal unrest to growing geopolitical risks and the specter of possible American intervention.

In a post on his social media platform, Trump declared the United States “ready to help” Iranian demonstrators facing a harsh crackdown by Tehran, describing the unrest as a historic moment for freedom in the country. He stressed that Iran’s leaders should refrain from using lethal force against protesters or risk a strong U.S. response — rhetoric that critics say could heighten tensions in an already volatile region.

The protests — sparked in late December by a collapsing economy and a steep drop in the value of the Iranian rial — have rapidly broadened into widespread anti-government demonstrations calling for economic relief and political reform. Human rights groups report that more than 500 people have died and over 10,000 have been detained since the unrest began, though exact figures remain difficult to confirm amid nationwide internet and communications blackouts.

Iran’s hard-line leadership has responded with increasingly defiant language. Tehran has warned it would retaliate against U.S. and Israeli assets if America attempts military strikes, with senior officials framing foreign interference as a threat to national sovereignty and regional stability. Former Revolutionary Guards commanders and parliamentary leaders have described U.S. actions as destabilizing and vowed to defend the regime’s security interests.