US President Donald Trump on Friday said the United States was "locked and loaded" to respond were Iran to kill protesters, after cost-of-living demonstrations in the country turned deadly.

A top Iranian security official warned Trump against intervening in protests gripping the country, saying it would destabilise the entire region.

Protesters and security forces clashed in several Iranian cities on Thursday, with six reported killed in the first deaths since the unrest escalated.

Iran's Fars news agency reported that two people were killed in clashes between security forces and protesters in the city of Lordegan, in the province of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, and three in Azna, in neighbouring Lorestan province.

State television reported earlier that a member of Iran's security forces was killed overnight during protests in the western city of Kouhdasht.

Shopkeepers in the capital Tehran went on strike on Sunday over high prices and economic stagnation, actions that have since spread to other parts of the country.

Trump said on his Truth Social platform that "if Iran shots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue."

"We are locked and loaded and ready to go," the US leader added.

Ali Larijani, who heads Iran's highest security body, said: "Trump should know that any American interference in this internal matter would amount to destabilising the entire region and harming American interests."

The demonstrations are smaller than the last major round of unrest in 2022, triggered by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, who was arrested for allegedly violating Iran's strict dress code for women.

Her death sparked a nationwide wave of anger that left several hundred people dead including dozens of members of the security forces. (AFP)
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Last updated: 2026-01-02 HKT 18:47