Protests spread across Iran as regime threatens US forces as 'legitimate targets' after Trump warning

As nationwide protests continued to dispersed crossed Iran connected Friday, nan regime’s hardline Parliament speaker warned nan U.S. that American forces and bases successful nan region would beryllium considered "legitimate targets" if Washington intervenes successful nan country’s ongoing governmental unrest.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf made nan comments aft President Donald Trump said earlier Friday that nan U.S. would return action if Iran uses unit against demonstrators. It comes arsenic protests entered a sixth time and look to beryllium spreading, pinch Iranian guidance groups claiming astatine slightest 8 deaths.

"The disrespectful President of America should besides cognize that pinch this charismatic admission, each American centers and forces crossed nan full region will beryllium morganatic targets for america successful consequence to immoderate imaginable adventurism," Qalibaf wrote successful Persian connected X.

"Iranians person ever been agreed and wished to enactment successful nan look of an aggressor enemy," he added.

IRANIAN PROTESTERS CLASH WITH SECURITY FORCES AS TEAR GAS FILLS TEHRAN STREETS AMID NATIONWIDE UNREST

A protester faces Iranian information forces during clashes amid nationwide unrest, according to images released by nan Iranian guidance group National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) (NCRI )

Qalibaf’s threat emerges arsenic nan United States maintains a important subject beingness successful nan region.

Roughly 40,000 active-duty U.S. troops and War Department civilians are deployed crossed nan Middle East, according to Military Times, citing Pentagon officials. Forces are stationed successful countries including Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq and Syria, according to Reuters.

Trump said earlier Friday that nan United States is "locked and loaded and fresh to go" if Iranian authorities violently suppress demonstrators.

"If Iran shoots and ‘violently kills serene protesters, which is their custom, nan United States of America will travel to their rescue,’" Trump wrote connected Truth Social.

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The Iranian guidance group National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) claimed Friday that protests person dispersed to astatine least 44 cities crossed 19 provinces, pinch astatine slightest 8 group killed successful clashes pinch information forces complete nan past 2 days. The group said nan youngest unfortunate was 15 years old. The claims could not beryllium independently verified.

According to nan NCRI, demonstrations and thoroughfare fighting intensified overnight, pinch protesters blocking roads, throwing stones and mounting occurrence to constabulary vehicles successful aggregate cities, including Marvdasht, Semirom, Darreh-Shahr, Ramhormoz and Azna. 

The group besides claimed demonstrators burned a statue of slain Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani successful Lali, successful Iran’s Khuzestan province.

Funerals of those killed successful nan uprising turned into angry demonstrations against nan clerical dictatorship, NCRI reported.

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 )

In Zahedan, successful Iran’s southeast adjacent nan borders pinch Pakistan and Afghanistan, demonstrators rallied aft Friday prayers, chanting slogans including "Death to nan dictator" and "Death to Khamenei."

The unrest marks Iran’s astir important protests since 2022, erstwhile nan decease of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini successful constabulary custody sparked nationwide demonstrations. Iranian officials opportunity nan existent unrest has not reached nan aforesaid standard aliases intensity.

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Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf speaks during a nationalist arena successful Iran successful 2024 (Hossein Beris / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP)

In caller demonstrations, immoderate of nan astir terrible unit has been reported successful occidental Iran, wherever videos circulating online look to show fires burning successful streets and nan sound of gunfire during nighttime protests.

In a connection to nan protesters, nan President-elect of nan NCRI, Maryam Rajavi, said that nan protesters person "struck fearfulness into a weakened enemy."

"Scenes of your courage, valor, and patient guidance captivate nan conscience of nan world," Rajavi said. "Therefore, from here, I opportunity to nan clerics, nan Revolutionary Guards, nan Basij forces, and their intelligence agents: immoderate measures you take, you will not beryllium capable to soundlessness a group who person resolved to overthrow nan clerical regime."

"You whitethorn kill, you whitethorn wound, you whitethorn apprehension and imprison, but you will not flight nan relentless wrath of this nation. And fto this guidelines arsenic an definitive informing to each those who bid and transportation retired these crimes and killings: nan courts of a free Iran are awaiting you."

Meanwhile, exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, nan eldest boy of Iran’s erstwhile shah, praised Trump’s "decisive leadership" and reliable stance against Iran’s ruling clerics.

Pahlavi said Iranians are risking their lives to extremity 46 years of norm by nan Islamic Republic.

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"[The people] person entrusted maine pinch a connection on pinch a awesome responsibility: to strive for nan revival of nan narration that Iran erstwhile had pinch America; a narration that brought bid and prosperity to nan Middle East," Pahlavi wrote connected X.

"I person a clear scheme for a unchangeable modulation successful Iran and bask nan support of my group to execute it. With your activity successful nan free world, we tin time off down a lasting bequest of enduring peace."

Iranian information forces are seen adjacent a crowd during demonstrations amid ongoing unrest, according to images released by nan Iranian guidance group National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). (NCRI )

Fox News’ Bradford Betz, Greg Norman, Morgan Phillips and The Associated Press contributed to this report.