Shafaq News– Tehran

Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Friday condemned US threats to attack Iran under the pretext of protecting the Iranian people, saying such statements constitute a clear violation of international law.

In a statement, the ministry affirmed, “The Iranian people would not allow any form of external interference in their internal affairs.”

It stressed that dialogue among Iranians themselves remains “the only legitimate path to addressing the country’s challenges,” rejecting what it described as coercive approaches from abroad.

Earlier today, US President Donald Trump cautioned that Washington was prepared to intervene militarily if Iranian authorities used lethal force against peaceful demonstrators.

Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, warned the United States against intervening in Iranian internal affairs, arguing that “any such move would destabilize the region.”

According to Fars News Agency, authorities in the western city of Kuhdasht arrested 20 people following unrest described by officials as riots and vandalism. The local prosecutor’s office said clashes injured 13 security personnel and killed one member of the Basij from severe wounds, adding that security conditions have since stabilized and that a judicial investigation is underway.

The protests began on December 28 following a sharp decline in the Iranian rial, which fell to a record low of about 1.45 million per US dollar, alongside a surge in food prices. Initial strikes by merchants in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar later spread to many provinces, with demonstrations expanding beyond economic demands to include political slogans.