4 potential targets for Trump after Maduro's capture
4. Iran
Beyond the Western Hemisphere, Trump issued a direct threat amid ongoing protests in Iran over the country’s severe economic crisis, marking the oil-rich nation’s most widespread unrest since 2022.
In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote: "If Iran shots (sic) 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 statement marked the first official U.S. comment on the protests, which have spread to more than 30 cities with reports of security forces using live fire.
Iranian officials, including senior adviser Ali Larijani, responded on X to Trump’s statement with a warning. "We distinguish between the stance of the protesting shopkeepers and the actions of disruptive actors, and Trump should know that U.S. interference in this internal matter would mean destabilizing the entire region and destroying America's interests."
