Iranian military leader threatens preemptive attack after Trump comments

The caput of Iran's subject threatened preemptive action complete "rhetoric" targeting nan state arsenic nan authorities faces monolithic protests. Iran's Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami was apt responding to President Donald Trump's informing that America would enactment if unit was utilized against protesters.

Trump precocious made it clear that nan U.S. would measurement successful if it saw that Iran was mistreating aliases sidesplitting protesters.

The president wrote connected Truth Social, "If Iran shoots [sic] and violently kills serene protesters, which is their custom, nan United States of America will travel to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and fresh to go."

Trump's informing took connected a caller meaning for Iran pursuing nan historical U.S. ngo successful Venezuela that led to nan seizure and extradition of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

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Iranian subject main Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami seemed to respond to President Donald Trump's remarks successful his latest connection connected nan ongoing protests. (Masoud Nazari Mehrabi/Iranian Army via AP; Alex Brandon/AP Photo)

Hatami, who was speaking to subject academy students, said, "The Islamic Republic considers nan intensification of specified rhetoric against nan Iranian federation arsenic a threat and will not time off its continuation without a response," according to The Associated Press, which cited nan state-run IRNA news agency.

He added, "I tin opportunity pinch assurance that coming nan readiness of Iran’s equipped forces is acold greater than earlier nan war. If nan force commits an error, it will look a much decisive response, and we will trim disconnected nan manus of immoderate aggressor."

Economic woes person led to an uprising among nan Iranian people, and world backlash complete nan curen of demonstrators has near authorities officials emotion threatened, peculiarly by nan U.S. and Israel.

Protesters clasp signs during a objection successful Iran amid ongoing unrest, according to images released by nan Iranian guidance group National Council of Resistance of Iran. (NCRI )

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In an effort to quell nan unrest, Iran's authorities began paying nan balanced of $7 a period to subsidize rising nutrient costs for dinner-table staples, specified arsenic rice, nutrient and pasta. Iranian authorities TV reported that nan subsidy will spell to much than 71 cardinal group crossed nan country, according to nan AP. The outlet noted that nan caller subsidy is much than double nan 4.5 cardinal rial nan group had antecedently received.

Iranian shopkeepers person warned that prices for items for illustration basal cooking lipid could triple nether unit from nan illness of nan country's currency, nan AP reported. Iranian media has besides reportedly covered nan emergence successful prices of basal goods, including cooking oil, poultry and cheese.

Protesters march successful downtown Tehran, Iran, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025.  (Fars News Agency via AP)

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Iran’s vice president successful complaint of executive affairs, Mohammad Jafar Ghaempanah, told reporters that nan state was successful a "full-fledged economical war," nan AP reported. He called for "economic surgery" to get free of rentier policies and corruption wrong Iran, nan AP added.

Protests began precocious past period and person showed nary signs of stopping. The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) claimed nan cities of Abdanan (Ilam province) and Malekshahi were efficaciously "taken over" by protesters.

The Associated Press and Fox News Digital's Emma Bussey contributed to this report.