Iran, which has accused the US and Israel of fomenting the continued unrest within the Center Jap nation, mentioned on Monday it strongly condemned “interventionist statements” by US President Donald Trump and different officers relating to its inside affairs.
Trump has warned Tehran of strikes over the crackdown on the protests and in addition mentioned on Sunday that he was weighing a spread of sturdy responses, together with army choices, to behave towards protestors.
Iran’s newest condemnation of his statements got here in a press launch titled “Truth Sheet on Latest Protests in Iran”, which was shared by the Iranian embassy in Islamabad on the social media platform X.
Within the assertion, Tehran expressed “deep concern relating to overt and rising overseas interference within the nation’s inside affairs and up to date protests”.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran strongly condemns the interventionist statements made by the president of the US of America and different American officers,” it mentioned.
“Such coercive and illegal positions represent a flagrant violation of the elemental ideas of UN Constitution and worldwide regulation, notably the precept of sovereignty and non-intervention, and successfully quantity to encouragement of violence and terrorism towards Iranian residents. These reckless statements should not unprecedented.”
It was recalled that days earlier, the US president had “publicly threatened the Islamic Republic of Iran with using pressure, together with the prospect of renewed army assaults towards Iran’s peaceable nuclear amenities and its defensive capabilities”.
The press launch additionally talked about financial pressures on Iran, ensuing from common coercive measures.
“The in depth imposition of unilateral coercive measures had a direct and opposed influence on the Iranian individuals’s livelihood and financial state of affairs, severely proscribing the nation’s monetary assets, disrupting commerce and funding, impeding entry to important items and providers, and consequently intensifying financial stress on unusual residents,” it mentioned.
In a reference to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the assertion mentioned: “The prime minister of the Zionist regime has made blatantly interventionist statements relating to Iran’s inside developments and has portrayed himself as sympathetic to the Iranian individuals.
“Such claims are profoundly misleading, notably contemplating the aggressive actions of this regime towards Iran, which have resulted within the killing of greater than 1,100 Iranian residents.”
It additional acknowledged: “A long time of legal actions by the Zionist regime towards the Iranian individuals can’t be hid by rhetorical maneuvers and or hypocritical habits. It’s evident that the Zionist seeks to use each alternative to sow division inside Iranian society and undermine nationwide cohesion.
“Statements by him and sure hardline American officers quantity to incitement to violence, terrorism and legal acts,” it added.
The assertion additionally recalled that on December 28, 2025, following a rise in overseas trade charges, sector-based protest gatherings have been shaped by some merchants within the Tehran Bazaar, motivated by financial issues.
The escalating protests in Iran, which started in December final yr in response to hovering costs, now pose one of many greatest challenges to the federal government for the reason that 1979 Islamic Revolution.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran reaffirms its dedication to its obligation below worldwide human rights regulation relating to respecting and defending the rights to freedom of expression and peaceable meeting assured below the Structure.
“Authorities acknowledged the lawful calls for of peaceable protesters and began using all accessible capacities to handle the calls for,” the assertion added.
Nonetheless, it continued, a distinction must be made between peaceable protests and riots or violent acts.
“Simply as Iran considers itself totally dedicated to supporting and defending the fitting of its residents to peaceable and lawful protest, it’s equally obliged to stop threats to public safety.
“Accordingly, it should undertake vital authorized and preventive measures to confront any type of violence that endangers the lives, property, or psychological well-being” of its residents and society. Inside this framework, the rights of tens of millions of peace-seeking Iranians won’t be compromised because of the actions of a really restricted variety of violent people,” it mentioned.
It additional acknowledged that no worldwide official, mechanism, or human rights physique “anticipate law-enforcement forces to stay detached to armed or violent acts occurring concurrently with or alongside peaceable assemblies, or to permit perpetrators of violence free rein to impose harm, hurt, or prices on society and peaceable protesters”.
“Nonetheless, a good portion of the peaceable and totally lawful protests by some bazaar retailers and members of the general public, held in protest of the nation’s financial situations, have been exploited — as a consequence of overseas interference — by a really small group, and in some circumstances escalated into violent and even armed clashes with regulation enforcement forces at protest websites.
“These acts bore no connection to the reputable calls for of the protesters nor endorsed by many of the inhabitants.”
On the identical time, the assertion mentioned, Iranian authorities noticed cases of violent unrest perpetrated by a restricted variety of people, together with assaults on police stations, using incendiary units comparable to Molotov cocktails towards regulation enforcement officers and, in some circumstances, using firearms.
“Such actions represent severe crimes involving violence towards individuals and destruction of public property and fall exterior the protecting scope of peaceable assemblies below worldwide human rights regulation.
“It’s evident that such violent acts, together with using weapons and numerous forms of hand-made explosive units by terrorist teams, not solely hurt public safety and endanger the lives and property of residents, but additionally undermine the peaceable nature of protests and provides rise to public concern as explicitly underlined within the remarks of the supreme chief on January 3, 2026.”
The assertion additional added: “Regardless of the incidence of violence by some people, regulation enforcement forces have acted with restraint and in accordance with relevant legal guidelines, exercising utmost care to revive public order and safety whereas minimizing hurt and observing human rights ideas, together with necessity and proportionality.”
Trump weighing robust choices
Talking to reporters aboard Air Pressure One on Sunday night time, Trump mentioned the US could meet Iranian officers and was involved with the opposition, as he weighed a spread of sturdy responses, together with army choices, to the protests.
He mentioned Iran referred to as to barter its nuclear program, which Israel and the US bombed in a 12-day warfare in June.
“The leaders of Iran referred to as” yesterday, Trump informed reporters, including that “a gathering is being arrange… They wish to negotiate.”
Nonetheless, Trump added that “we could should act earlier than a gathering”.
Trump was to fulfill with senior advisers on Tuesday to debate choices for Iran, a US official mentioned Reuters on Sunday.
The The Wall Road Journal has reported that choices included army strikes, utilizing secret cyber weapons, widening sanctions and offering on-line assist to anti-government sources.
“The army is it, and we’re some very sturdy choices,” Trump informed reporters.
Trump additionally mentioned that he plans to talk with billionaire Elon Musk about restoring web in Iran, the place authorities have blacked out providers for 4 days.
“He is superb at that sort of factor, he is acquired an excellent firm,” Trump informed reporters in response to a query about whether or not he would have interaction with Musk’s SpaceX firm, which affords a satellite tv for pc web service referred to as Starlink that has been utilized in Iran.
Musk and SpaceX didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
The move of knowledge from Iran has been hampered by an web blackout since Thursday.
‘Not searching for warfare however totally ready’
Following Trump’s assertion, Iranian International Minister Abbas Araghchi informed a convention of overseas ambassadors in Tehran on Monday that “the Islamic Republic of Iran shouldn’t be searching for warfare however is totally ready for warfare”.
“We’re additionally prepared for negotiations, however these negotiations must be honest, with equal rights and primarily based on mutual respect,” he mentioned.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf earlier warned Washington towards “a miscalculation.”
“Allow us to be clear: within the case of an assault on Iran, the occupied territories (Israel) in addition to all US bases and ships can be our reputable goal,” mentioned Qalibaf, a former commander in Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards.
Close to paralysis
In Tehran, an AFP journalist described a metropolis in a state of close to paralysis.
The value of meat has almost doubled for the reason that starting of the protests, and plenty of retailers are closed. Those who do open should shut at round 4:00 or 5:00 pm, when safety forces deploy en masse.
There have been fewer movies displaying protests on social media Sunday, however it was not clear to what extent that was because of the web shutdown.
One extensively shared video confirmed protesters once more gathering within the Pounak district of Tehran shouting slogans in favor of the ousted monarchy.
The protests have turn into one of many greatest challenges to the rule of supreme chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, coming within the wake of Israel’s 12-day warfare towards the Islamic republic in June, which was backed by the US.
State TV has aired pictures of burning buildings, together with a mosque, in addition to funeral processions for safety personnel.
Iran has not given an official casualty toll for the protests.
After three days of mass actions, state shops have been at pains to current an image of calm returning, broadcasting pictures of smooth-flowing site visitors on Sunday.
Tehran Governor Mohammad-Sadegh Motamedian insisted in televised feedback that “the variety of protests is lowering”.
The Iranian authorities on Sunday declared three days of nationwide mourning for “martyrs” together with members of the safety forces killed.
President Masoud Pezeshkian additionally urged Iranians to hitch a “nationwide resistance march” Monday to denounce the violence.
Son of ousted Iran Shah urges safety forces to ‘stand with the individuals’
The US-based son of Iran’s ousted shah urged Iranian authorities staff and safety forces to hitch the swelling protest motion within the Islamic Republic.
“Workers of state establishments, in addition to members of the armed and safety forces, have a selection: stand with the individuals and turn into allies of the nation, or select complicity with the murderers of the individuals,” Reza Pahlavi posted on social media.
Pahlavi, who has emerged as an opposition figurehead, additionally referred to as for changing the flags exterior of Iranian embassies with the pre-Islamic revolution flag.
“The time has come for them to be adorned with Iran’s nationwide flag, instead of the disgraceful banner of the Islamic Republic,” he mentioned.
In London, protesters managed to swap out the Iranian embassy flag over the weekend, hoisting as an alternative the tri-colored banner used below the final Shah.
The ceremonial, pre-revolution flag has turn into an emblem of the worldwide rallies which have mushroomed in assist of Iran’s demonstrations.
The Iranian International Ministry summoned the British ambassador in Tehran on Sunday over the flag swapping, in line with the official IRNA outlet.
