Washington, DC [US], January 2 (ANI): US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) said that the United States is 'locked and loaded' to respond if Iranian authorities use violence against peaceful protesters, as demonstrations over worsening economic conditions spread across multiple provinces in Iran.

In a Truth Social Post, Trump wrote, 'If Iran shots 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. Thank you for your attention to this matter!'

This comes as people in Iran continue to protest against rising prices and economic hardship pouring into the streets across several provinces in Iran, with some protests escalating into fatal confrontations with security forces, CNN reported.

Protesters reportedly clashed with police, hurled stones at officers and torched vehicles, according to Fars News Agency. The outlet alleged that some armed 'disturbers' exploited the gatherings. Without offering proof, Fars claimed authorities later seized firearms from several individuals.

Earlier, at least two people were killed during clashes between dozens of protesters and police in Lordegan county in the southwestern Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, Fars reported. It was not immediately clear whether those killed were protesters or security personnel. Unconfirmed videos shared online appeared to show demonstrators throwing stones at uniformed police in the area. Fars alleged that protesters targeted the governor's office, banks and other state buildings, CNN reported.

The earliest reported fatality linked to the unrest occurred on Wednesday night, when a member of Iran's Basij paramilitary force was killed and 13 others injured in the city of Kuhdasht in Lorestan province, according to state-affiliated media. Fars News Agency aired footage showing a police officer receiving medical care after allegedly being set on fire by protesters.

The Basij paramilitary force is frequently deployed by authorities to quell demonstrations.

Twenty people were detained during the protests, the prosecutor of Kuhdasht said on Thursday, according to state-run Tasnim News Agency. In Malard county, west of Tehran, officials arrested 30 individuals for 'disturbing public order,' Fars reported. County official Mansour Saleki was quoted as saying those detained were 'misusing the lawful right to protest.' He added that several of those arrested had travelled from nearby counties.

Shop owners, bazaar traders and university students joined demonstrations in several Iranian cities this week, chanting slogans against the government over economic hardship after the national currency plunged to historic lows.

The unrest marks the largest demonstrations since the nationwide protests of 2022, which erupted after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody following her arrest for allegedly violating Iran's headscarf rules.

The US State Department said in a post on X on Wednesday that it was alarmed by reports of protesters facing 'intimidation, violence and arrests,' urging Iranian authorities to halt the crackdown.

'First the bazaars. Then the students. Now the entire country. Iranians stand together. Different lives, one demand: respect our voices and our rights,' the State Department wrote in a Farsi-language post.

Though still limited in scope, the protests signal the latest phase of mounting public dissatisfaction in Iran, as citizens increasingly reclaim public spaces and personal freedoms through spontaneous and uncoordinated acts of resistance. (ANI)