‘Locked and loaded’: Trump warns US will intervene if Iran kills peaceful protesters
Washington: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday issued a strong warning to Iran amid ongoing nationwide protests, saying that if Iran kills peaceful protesters, US will come to their rescue.
According to a report published by Hindustan Times, “We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” Trump said, responding to reports of violent crackdowns on protesters.
Protests erupted in Iran on Sunday, beginning in the capital city of Tehran, after shopkeepers and traders took to the streets to protest the government’s handling of the economy. Demonstrators cited a sharp fall in the national currency, rising inflation, and prolonged economic stagnation. Iran’s official inflation rate stood at 42.5 per cent in December.
The protests intensified after students from at least ten universities joined the demonstrations on Tuesday. Markets have been shut amid the ongoing protests and the government declared a holiday due to cold weather, effectively shutting much of the country.
According to reports, at least seven people have been killed in clashes between protesters and security forces since the demonstrations began. As per the report, protests have spread to multiple provinces, with some confrontations turning fatal over the past 24 hours.
Protesters reportedly clashed with police, hurled stones at officers, and torched vehicles, Iran's Fars news agency said. They claimed that some armed “disturbers” took advantage of the protests and that firearms were later seized from several individuals.
Iran’s civilian government, led by President Masoud Pezeshkian, has tried to show a willingness to engage with protesters.
“From an Islamic perspective... if we do not resolve the issue of people’s livelihoods, we will end up in Hell,” he said at an event aired on state television.
Iran’s economy has been under sustained pressure for years due to US and Western sanctions linked to its nuclear programme. Regional tensions have further strained state finances, particularly following a 12-day conflict with Israel in June.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Earthquake with preliminary magnitude of 6.5 rattles southern, central Mexico
Mexico City (AP): A strong earthquake rattled southern and central Mexico on Friday, interrupting President Claudia Sheinbaum's first press briefing of the new year as seismic alarms sounded.
The earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.5, and its epicentre was near the town of San Marcos in the southern state of Guerrero near the Pacific coast resort of Acapulco, according to Mexico's national seismological agency.
There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
