By The South Asia Times

TEHRAN — Protests across Iran entered their fourth consecutive day on Saturday, with demonstrators, including shopkeepers and local business owners, taking to the streets to express anger over worsening economic conditions and the sharp depreciation of the Iranian rial, which has plummeted to 135,000 against the US dollar.

The demonstrations, which began last week at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, have turned violent in some areas, with reports of deaths and clashes with security forces.

Iranian officials have accused foreign powers, particularly the United States and Israel, of instigating unrest. Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, warned that external interference would “destabilize the entire region and destroy America’s interests,” while Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said that any US action threatening Iran’s security “will be met with a regret-inducing response.”

The tensions escalated after US President Donald Trump openly voiced support for the protesters on Friday, stating that the United States would “come to the rescue” of Iranians should the government use violence against demonstrators.

Trump said, “If Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters… the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, condemned Trump’s remarks, calling them a violation of international law and citing a long history of American actions in the region — including support for the 1953 coup against Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh, backing Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq war, and the 1988 downing of an Iranian civilian airliner — as evidence of US “so-called empathy” for the Iranian people.

He emphasized that Iranians will resolve their problems “through dialogue and engagement,” rejecting foreign interference.

The protests, fueled by economic frustration and the falling rial, which has lost significant value in recent weeks, have spread beyond Tehran to other urban centers.

While many demonstrations remain peaceful, the government maintains that some actors, influenced by foreign powers, have attempted to incite violence.

Tehran believe that the US and Israel are main forces behind the ongoing protest in the country.

As the situation continues to unfold, analysts warn that escalating foreign rhetoric could further complicate Iran’s internal security and heighten tensions in the already volatile Middle East region.