Iranian authorities have warned that American military bases throughout the Middle East will be viewed as legitimate targets should the United States take aggressive action. The threat came Friday from Iran’s parliament speaker, hours after a Supreme Leader adviser cautioned that US interference would destabilize the entire region.
The exchange follows days of deadly protests that have claimed seven lives since Sunday. President Trump had warned that America would intervene if Iranian forces use lethal measures against peaceful demonstrators expressing frustration with the country’s deteriorating economic situation.
A senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei emphasized that any US involvement in Iran’s internal affairs would trigger chaos beyond the country’s borders. This warning carries significant implications given the strategic importance of the Middle East and the concentration of American forces in countries surrounding Iran.
Economic grievances have driven the protests, which began when shopkeepers in Tehran publicly criticized government policies following the rial’s dramatic devaluation. Official figures show inflation reached 42.5 percent in December, while the national currency has weakened to approximately 1.4 million rials per US dollar. Citizens struggle with rising prices and stagnant wages, creating widespread economic distress.
President Pezeshkian’s civilian government has sought to project empathy for demonstrators’ concerns. Speaking on state television, Pezeshkian used Islamic principles to frame addressing economic welfare as a moral imperative. Despite this sympathetic rhetoric, he has admitted his administration has limited capacity to address the currency crisis. The prosecutor general has attempted to distinguish legitimate economic protests from security threats, validating peaceful demonstrations while promising decisive responses to instability, though maintaining this distinction grows more difficult.