Tehran [Iran], January 3: Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Friday vowed to "forcefully reject" any interference in the country's internal affairs, after U.S. President Donald Trump earlier warned that the United States would act if Iran "kills peaceful protesters."
In a post on social media platform X, Araghchi said Iran's armed forces "are on standby and know exactly where to aim" if its sovereignty is violated, responding to Trump's earlier comments on Truth Social, in which he claimed the United States would "come to their rescue" if Iran shot peaceful protesters.
Since Sunday, protests have erupted in a number of Iranian cities over the sharp depreciation of the national currency rial.
Araghchi said that peaceful protest is the right of Iranians affected by exchange rate volatility, but noted isolated incidents of violence, including attacks on a police station and Molotov cocktails thrown at officers. He added that criminal attacks on public property cannot be tolerated.
At least three people were killed and 13 security personnel were wounded in clashes during protests in two Iranian provinces over the past 24 hours, Iranian media reported Thursday.
Saeid Pourali, deputy governor of Iran's western Lorestan province for political, security, and social affairs, attributed the recent protests to economic grievances.
He stressed that economic pressures, including currency volatility and livelihood concerns, have come from "cruel" Western sanctions.
The Iranian rial has weakened sharply since the United States withdrew from Iran's 2015 nuclear deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions. The U.S. dollar currently trades at a rate of over 1.35 million rials on the open market.
Source: Xinhua
