President Donald Trump and a senior Iranian security official exchanged sharp warnings Friday as expanding economic protests swept parts of Iran, further escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran following U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June.

Trump, posting on his Truth Social platform, warned Iran against the violent suppression of demonstrators, saying the United States would intervene if peaceful protesters were killed. At least seven people have died amid unrest linked to the demonstrations, according to reports.

“If Iran violently kills peaceful protesters, the United States will come to their rescue,” Trump wrote, adding, “We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” without providing further details.

Iranian officials responded swiftly. Ali Larijani, a former parliamentary speaker who now serves as secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, accused the United States and Israel of fueling the protests. He offered no evidence for the claim, which Iranian authorities have repeatedly made during past waves of nationwide unrest.

“Trump should know that intervention by the U.S. in Iran’s domestic affairs will lead to chaos across the entire region and the destruction of U.S. interests,” Larijani wrote on X, the social media platform that is blocked inside Iran. “The people of the United States should know that Trump has initiated this adventurism. They should be concerned for their own soldiers.”

Larijani’s remarks appeared to reference the extensive U.S. military presence in the Middle East. In June, Iran launched missiles at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar following U.S. strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites, sharply raising fears of a broader regional conflict.

The exchange underscores the fragile security environment as Iran grapples with internal unrest and heightened external pressure, with both sides signaling readiness to escalate amid already strained relations.