Iran’s parliament speaker has issued an unprecedented warning that American military bases throughout the region will be considered legitimate targets should the United States take aggressive action. The threat followed President Trump’s declaration that Washington would intervene if Iranian authorities use deadly force against demonstrators.
Nationwide protests have gripped Iran since Sunday, resulting in seven deaths as security forces clashed with citizens expressing anger over catastrophic economic conditions. The demonstrations began in Tehran, where business owners gathered to criticize the government’s failure to prevent the rial’s collapse and control spiraling inflation.
Trump’s intervention warning has inflamed an already volatile situation. A senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei responded by predicting that any US interference in Iran’s domestic affairs would trigger chaos across the Middle East, potentially drawing multiple countries into conflict and threatening vital shipping lanes.
The economic grievances fueling the protests are severe. Official statistics show inflation reached 42.5 percent in December, while the national currency has weakened to approximately 1.4 million rials per US dollar. Citizens face rising prices for basic goods while wages stagnate, creating widespread hardship that has overwhelmed public tolerance for economic mismanagement.
President Pezeshkian’s administration has attempted to demonstrate understanding for protesters’ frustrations. Speaking on state television, Pezeshkian framed the government’s economic responsibility in religious terms, suggesting that failure to address livelihood concerns has spiritual consequences. However, he has acknowledged his options are severely constrained by the currency crisis. Meanwhile, the prosecutor general has tried to distinguish legitimate economic protests from security threats, promising decisive action only against the latter, though maintaining this distinction may prove challenging as unrest continues.