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The former president has warned of involvement in Iran should its authorities use lethal force against demonstrators, resulting in admonishments from senior Iranian officials that any US intervention would overstep a definitive limit.

An Online Post Escalates Diplomatic Strain

Via a public declaration on Friday, the former president declared that if Iran were to shoot and kill protesters, the United States would “intervene on their behalf”. He further stated, “we are locked and loaded, and ready to go,” without detailing what that would involve in reality.

Demonstrations Enter the Sixth Day Amid Financial Strain

Demonstrations across the nation are now in their sixth day, marking the largest in several years. The present demonstrations were triggered by an sharp drop in the country's money on recently, with its value falling to about 1.4m to the US dollar, worsening an precarious economic situation.

Multiple individuals have been confirmed dead, among them a member of the Basij security force. Recordings reportedly show security forces carrying firearms, with the noise of discharges present in the recordings.

Tehran's Authorities Issue Firm Responses

In response to the intervention warning, Ali Shamkhani, adviser to the supreme leader, stated that Iran’s national security were a “definitive boundary, not a subject for adventurist tweets”.

“Any external involvement approaching Iran security on any excuse will be met with a swift consequence,” the official posted.

Another senior Iranian official, the secretary of Iran’s supreme national security council, accused the US and Israel of having a hand in the protests, a common refrain by the government in response to domestic dissent.

“The US should understand that US intervention in this national affair will lead to destabilisation of the Middle East and the harm to American interests,” he wrote. “US citizens must know that the former president is the one that began this escalation, and they should pay attention to the well-being of their military personnel.”

Background of Tensions and Demonstration Scope

Iran has vowed to strike American soldiers deployed in the region in the before, and in June it launched strikes on a facility in the Gulf following the US struck Iranian nuclear enrichment sites.

The current protests have occurred in Tehran but have also extended to other urban centers, such as a major city. Business owners have gone on strike in solidarity, and activists have gathered on campuses. While the currency crisis are the main issue, demonstrators have also voiced anti-government slogans and condemned what they said was graft and poor governance.

Official Approach Shifts

The nation's leader, the president, first called for representatives, taking a more conciliatory tone than authorities did during the previous unrest, which were met with force. He stated that he had directed the government to listen to the protesters’ “legitimate demands”.

The recent deaths of demonstrators, though, may indicate that the state are adopting a tougher stance against the protests as they continue. A communiqué from the powerful military force on recently warned that it would take a harsh line against any external involvement or “unrest” in the country.

As Tehran face protests at home, it has sought to counter accusations from the US that it is rebuilding its nuclear programme. Officials has claimed that it is ceased such work anywhere in the country and has expressed it is willing to engage in talks with the west.