Washington, DC, 09 January (H.S.): President Donald Trump issued a forceful warning on Thursday, declaring that the United States would respond with overwhelming force against Iran should its security forces commence killing protesters amid escalating civil unrest fueled by a deepening economic crisis.

In an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, Trump stated, I have let them know that if they start killing people, which they tend to do during their riots—they have lots of riots—if they do it, we are going to hit them very hard, underscoring a zero-tolerance stance toward potential state-sponsored violence.

Iran has grappled with widespread demonstrations since late December 2025, triggered by rampant inflation, currency devaluation, and shortages of basic commodities, with local media and official reports confirming at least 21 fatalities—including security personnel—since the unrest erupted.

The protests, concentrated in major cities, reflect mounting public frustration with the government's handling of sanctions, mismanagement, and suppressed dissent, echoing patterns from prior uprisings in 2019 and 2022.

Trump's intervention arrives against a backdrop of renewed US-Iran tensions, including recent Senate efforts to curb executive war powers and ongoing disputes over Iran's nuclear program and regional proxies.

This rhetoric aligns with Trump's broader foreign policy doctrine emphasizing deterrence and peace through strength, as articulated in recent analyses of his administration's approach to adversaries like Iran and Venezuela, where he has similarly vowed aggressive countermeasures.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian urged security forces to exercise restraint earlier this week, signaling internal pressure to de-escalate, yet Trump's preemptive threat risks heightening geopolitical volatility in the Middle East. As demonstrations persist, the world watches whether Tehran's response will provoke the reprisal Washington has signaled.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar