Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, warned US President Donald Trump that American interference in the country's domestic affairs would destabilise the entire region and destroy US interests, in a sharp response to Trump's threats of military intervention.

"With the statements by Israeli officials and @realDonaldTrump, what has been going on behind the scenes is now clear," Larijani wrote on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on January 2.

"We distinguish between the stance of the protesting shopkeepers and the actions of disruptive actors, and Trump should know that US interference in this internal matter would mean destabilizing the entire region and destroying America's interests."

Larijani wrote that Trump started "this adventurism" and warned: "They should be mindful of their soldiers' safety."

The exchange marks a sharp escalation in rhetoric between Washington and Tehran over Iran's handling of economic protests, with Iranian officials increasingly suspicious of the timing and external involvement. Larijani's reference to coordination between Israeli and US officials suggests Tehran views the unrest as potentially orchestrated by foreign actors rather than purely domestic grievances.

The comments followed Trump's statement earlier on January 2 in which he declared the US military "locked and loaded and ready to go" if Iran violently suppresses ongoing protests.

"If Iran shots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue," Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social, bne IntelliNews previously reported.

Iran faces widespread demonstrations over economic conditions, with at least six to seven people killed during protests in recent days, according to official and media tallies.

The unrest was triggered by the collapse of the rial and inflation exceeding 40% and the rial collapsing to its lowest ever value against the US dollar and a basket of other currencies.

Authorities have arrested dozens of protesters across multiple cities, including 30 people in Malard and several in Lorestan province, where demonstrators attacked security forces with stones and fired warning shots.

President Masoud Pezeshkian has moved to soften aspects of the controversial 2026 budget and announced an end to preferential exchange rates in an apparent effort to ease tensions; however, he is apparently sidelined as events take over in recent days.