Protests spread across Iran as regime threatens US forces as 'legitimate targets' after Trump warning

As nationwide protests continued to dispersed crossed Iran connected Friday, the regime’s hardline Parliament talker warned the U.S. that American forces and bases successful the portion would beryllium considered "legitimate targets" if Washington intervenes successful the country’s ongoing governmental unrest.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf made the comments aft President Donald Trump said earlier Friday that the U.S. would instrumentality enactment if Iran uses unit against demonstrators. It comes arsenic protests entered a sixth time and look to beryllium spreading, with Iranian absorption groups claiming astatine slightest 8 deaths.

"The disrespectful President of America should besides cognize that with this authoritative admission, each American centers and forces crossed the full portion volition beryllium morganatic targets for america successful effect to immoderate imaginable adventurism," Qalibaf wrote successful Persian connected X.

"Iranians person ever been agreed and determined to enactment successful the look of an aggressor enemy," helium added.

IRANIAN PROTESTERS CLASH WITH SECURITY FORCES AS TEAR GAS FILLS TEHRAN STREETS AMID NATIONWIDE UNREST

A protester faces Iranian information forces during clashes amid nationwide unrest, according to images released by the Iranian absorption radical National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) (NCRI )

Qalibaf’s menace emerges arsenic the United States maintains a important subject beingness successful the region.

Roughly 40,000 active-duty U.S. troops and War Department civilians are deployed crossed the Middle East, according to Military Times, citing Pentagon officials. Forces are stationed successful countries including Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq and Syria, according to Reuters.

Trump said earlier Friday that the United States is "locked and loaded and acceptable to go" if Iranian authorities violently suppress demonstrators.

"If Iran shoots and ‘violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America volition travel to their rescue,’" Trump wrote connected Truth Social.

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The Iranian absorption radical National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) claimed Friday that protests person dispersed to astatine slightest 44 cities crossed 19 provinces, with astatine slightest 8 radical killed successful clashes with information forces implicit the past 2 days. The radical said the youngest unfortunate was 15 years old. The claims could not beryllium independently verified.

According to the NCRI, demonstrations and thoroughfare warring intensified overnight, with protesters blocking roads, throwing stones and mounting occurrence to constabulary vehicles successful aggregate cities, including Marvdasht, Semirom, Darreh-Shahr, Ramhormoz and Azna. 

The radical besides claimed demonstrators burned a statue of slain Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani successful Lali, successful Iran’s Khuzestan province.

Funerals of those killed successful the uprising turned into aggravated demonstrations against the clerical dictatorship, NCRI reported.

Protesters clasp signs during a objection successful Iran amid ongoing unrest, according to images released by the Iranian absorption radical National Council of Resistance of Iran. (NCRI )

In Zahedan, successful Iran’s southeast adjacent the borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan, demonstrators rallied aft Friday prayers, chanting slogans including "Death to the dictator" and "Death to Khamenei."

The unrest marks Iran’s astir important protests since 2022, erstwhile the decease of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini successful constabulary custody sparked nationwide demonstrations. Iranian officials accidental the existent unrest has not reached the aforesaid standard oregon intensity.

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Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf speaks during a nationalist lawsuit successful Iran successful 2024 (Hossein Beris / Middle East Images / Middle East Images via AFP)

In caller demonstrations, immoderate of the astir terrible unit has been reported successful occidental Iran, wherever videos circulating online look to amusement fires burning successful streets and the dependable of gunfire during nighttime protests.

In a connection to the protesters, the President-elect of the NCRI, Maryam Rajavi, said that the protesters person "struck fearfulness into a weakened enemy."

"Scenes of your courage, valor, and steadfast absorption captivate the conscience of the world," Rajavi said. "Therefore, from here, I accidental to the clerics, the Revolutionary Guards, the Basij forces, and their quality agents: immoderate measures you take, you volition not beryllium capable to soundlessness a radical who person resolved to overthrow the clerical regime."

"You whitethorn kill, you whitethorn wound, you whitethorn apprehension and imprison, but you volition not flight the relentless wrath of this nation. And fto this basal arsenic an explicit informing to each those who bid and transportation retired these crimes and killings: the courts of a escaped Iran are awaiting you."

Meanwhile, exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, the eldest lad of Iran’s erstwhile shah, praised Trump’s "decisive leadership" and pugnacious stance against Iran’s ruling clerics.

Pahlavi said Iranians are risking their lives to extremity 46 years of regularisation by the Islamic Republic.

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"[The people] person entrusted maine with a connection on with a large responsibility: to strive for the revival of the narration that Iran erstwhile had with America; a narration that brought bid and prosperity to the Middle East," Pahlavi wrote connected X.

"I person a wide program for a unchangeable modulation successful Iran and bask the enactment of my radical to execute it. With your enactment successful the escaped world, we tin permission down a lasting bequest of enduring peace."

Iranian information forces are seen adjacent a assemblage during demonstrations amid ongoing unrest, according to images released by the Iranian absorption radical National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). (NCRI )

Fox News’ Bradford Betz, Greg Norman, Morgan Phillips and The Associated Press contributed to this report.