Donald Trump’s warning that the United States could intervene if peaceful protesters in Iran are killed has been described by Tehran as “reckless and dangerous,” amid mounting tensions over deadly nationwide demonstrations.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi issued the rebuke after the US president wrote on social media that Washington would “come to their rescue” if Iranian authorities violently suppressed demonstrators protesting against economic hardship.

In a brief post on Friday, Trump declared the United States was “locked and loaded and ready to go,” without specifying what form any intervention might take, prompting alarmed reactions from Iranian officials.

Araghchi responded by saying Iran’s armed forces were on full alert and “know exactly where to aim” in the event of an attack, underscoring the seriousness with which Tehran viewed Trump’s remarks.

At least eight people are reported to have died during the week-long unrest, according to Iranian and human rights sources, though the exact number and circumstances remain difficult to independently verify.

Trump claimed that Iran had a history of violently killing protesters, writing: “If Iran shots [sic] and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue.”

The US president did not outline any specific measures, but his comments evoked memories of recent US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, which were followed by a retaliatory Iranian strike on a US base in Qatar.

In his response on X, Araghchi accused Trump of hypocrisy, noting that the US president had recently deployed the National Guard within the United States to quell unrest.

“Given President Trump’s deployment of the National Guard within US borders, he of all people should know that criminal attacks on public property cannot be tolerated,” the Iranian foreign minister wrote.

He added that Iran would “forcefully reject any interference in their internal affairs,” signalling Tehran’s refusal to accept outside pressure over its handling of the protests.

On Saturday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addressed the unrest, adopting a hard line by stating that “rioters must be put in their place.”

Khamenei acknowledged that the original protests by shopkeepers over the sharp collapse of the national currency were “legitimate,” but claimed hostile foreign forces were exploiting the situation.

He accused individuals “provoked by the enemy” of hijacking economic grievances to chant anti-government slogans and destabilise the country.

Protests began in Tehran after another steep fall in the value of the rial against the US dollar on the open market, deepening frustrations over inflation and declining living standards.

By Tuesday, university students had joined the demonstrations, which quickly spread to several cities and towns, with reports of running battles between security forces and protesters.

State-affiliated Mehr and Fars news agencies reported that two protesters and a member of the security forces were killed in the western town of Malekshahi during an attempt to enter a police station.

Additional deaths were reported elsewhere in the country. Two protesters were killed in the south-western city of Lordegan, according to the semi-official Fars agency and the Kurdish rights group Hengaw.

Three people were reported killed in Azna, and another in Kouhdasht, both in western Iran, though authorities did not clarify whether they were demonstrators or security personnel.

Further casualties were reported in Fuladshahr, central Iran, and Marvdasht in the south, adding to growing concern over the rising death toll.

The European Union said it was “concerned” by reports of fatalities and urged Iranian authorities to exercise “maximum restraint,” while upholding freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

Despite the scale of unrest, analysts note the protests have not yet reached the intensity of the 2022 uprising triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini in morality police custody.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has sought to strike a conciliatory tone, previously stating he would listen to the “legitimate demands” of protesters, even as security forces remain deployed across the country.