As demonstrations intensified across Iran, President Donald Trump delivered a renewed warning Thursday night, saying the United States would respond forcefully if Iranian authorities move to kill protesters.

Speaking during an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News, Trump accused the Iranian regime of brutal tactics against civilians in past unrest. “What they’ve done in the past, they’ve started shooting the hell out of people. And all of a sudden, people without any weapons whatsoever standing there and get machine guns, gunning them down, or they grab, take them to prisons and then hang them and kill them. So they played rough. And I said, if they do that, we’re going to hit them very hard. We’re going to hit them hard.”

.@POTUS on Iran: What they've done is, in the past, they started shooting the hell out of [protesters]… and I said if they do that, we're going to hit them very hard… So far, for the most part, they haven't… The enthusiasm to overturn that regime is incredible. pic.twitter.com/i7SBH349Ke
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 9, 2026

Trump said preparations are already in place should Iran escalate its response. “We’re ready to do it. If they do that, we’re going to hit them hard. And so far, for the most part, there’s been some of it, but for the most part, they haven’t. There have been people killed. Some of them, the crowds are so big that some of them have had, were stomped on. Literally. It was terrible.”

He emphasized that Tehran has been explicitly warned as the scale of unrest grows. “We’ll see what happens. There’s so many people protesting. Nobody’s ever seen anything like what’s happening right now. But I have put Iran on notice that if they start shooting at them..if they do anything bad to these people, we’re going to hit them very hard.”

Earlier in the day, Trump echoed similar remarks during an interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt, reiterating his support for demonstrators and cautioning Iran against violent crackdowns. “I have let them know that if they start killing people, which they tend to do during their riots… we’re going to hit them very hard,” he said.

When Hewitt pointed out reports that dozens had already died, Trump responded that not all fatalities could be attributed directly to security forces. “I’m not sure I can necessarily hold somebody responsible for that, but … they’ve been told very strongly – even more strongly than I’m speaking to you right now – that if they do that, they’re going to have to pay hell,” the President stated.

As protests mounted, Reza Pahlavi, the Crown Prince of Iran, issued a statement condemning the regime’s actions to suppress communication while expressing appreciation for Trump’s warnings. “Millions of Iranians demanded their freedom tonight. In response, the regime in Iran has cut all lines of communication. It has shut down the Internet. It has cut landlines. It may even attempt to jam satellite signals,” Pahlavi wrote on social media.

Pahlavi urged international leaders to take action alongside the United States. “I want to thank the leader of the free world, President Trump, for reiterating his promise to hold the regime to account. It is time for others, including European leaders, to follow his lead, break their silence, and act more decisively in support of the people of Iran,” he added.

He concluded with a call for immediate intervention to restore connectivity. “I call on them to use all technical, financial, and diplomatic resources available to restore communication to the Iranian people so that their voice and their will can be heard and seen. Do not let the voices of my courageous compatriots be silenced,” concluded Pahlavi.

The statements came amid what observers describe as the largest wave of protests in nearly two weeks, with demonstrators expanding their challenge to Iran’s leadership across multiple regions.

Iran International reported that tens of thousands of people were participating in rallies in major cities, including Tehran, as the unrest continued to spread.

According to the Norway-based group Iran Human Rights, at least 45 protesters have been killed since the demonstrations began, among them eight minors, allegedly at the hands of security forces.

Videos circulating online from Tehran showed crowds chanting slogans including “death to the dictator” and “death to Khamenei”.

Additional footage from Wednesday night captured protesters in the western city of Ilam shouting “death to Khamenei.”

Separate videos shared on social media showed demonstrators in Fars Province tearing down and destroying a statue of Qassem Soleimani, the former head of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps.

{Matzav.com}

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