EditIran leadership fears U.S. or Israel military action amid protests
Some anticipate Iran could be "the next victim of Trump's aggressive foreign policy" after U.S. special forces seized Venezuela’s Maduro
Iranian officials voiced alarm on Monday that the United States or Israel may be preparing military action against the country, pointing to President Donald Trump’s threats to intervene in support of anti-government protesters and the dramatic U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as warning signs that have severely constrained Tehran’s handling of domestic unrest.
Protests erupted in Tehran on 28 December over deepening economic hardship and have since spread to cities in western and southern Iran, quickly evolving from complaints about living costs to broader anti-regime chants such as “Down with the Islamic Republic” and “Death to the dictator” – a reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Though smaller than the nationwide 2022-2023 uprising triggered by Mahsa Amini’s death in morality police custody, the demonstrations represent the worst unrest in three years, with at least 17 people killed in a week of clashes, according to rights groups. Authorities reported two security force members dead and more than a dozen injured.
“These twin pressures have narrowed Tehran’s room for manoeuvre, leaving leaders caught between public anger on the streets and hardening demands and threats from Washington, with few viable options and high risks on every path,” one senior Iranian official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
A second official said some in the leadership now feared Iran could be “the next victim of Trump’s aggressive foreign policy” after U.S. special forces seized Maduro and his wife on 3 January. A third expressed growing concern that “Trump or Israel might take military action against Iran, like what they did in June,” referring to the 2025 12-day war in which Israel, backed by the U.S., struck nuclear facilities and killed senior commanders.
The views were shared by another current official and a former official close to decision-makers. Trump’s social media warning that the U.S. would “come to their rescue” if protesters were killed, followed by his declaration that forces were “locked and loaded and ready to go,” has been condemned by Iran’s Foreign Ministry as “incitement to violence, incitement to terrorism, and incitement to killing.”
Economic grievances fuel the protests, driven by runaway inflation (officially 42.5% in December), corruption, mismanagement, and widening inequality between ordinary citizens and the clerical-security elite – issues even acknowledged by state media. The rial has lost roughly half its value since last year’s strikes, exacerbating hardship for households earning barely $150 monthly.
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Authorities have pursued a dual strategy: declaring economic protests legitimate and promising dialogue while using tear gas against violent confrontations. President Masoud Pezeshkian has pledged reforms, and starting 10 January the government will provide monthly non-cash electronic grocery credits worth about $7 per person. Khamenei accused “enemies of the Islamic Republic” of fomenting unrest and warned that “rioters should be put in their place.”
Iran, a long-time ally of sanctions-hit Venezuela, strongly condemned the U.S. action in Caracas. Nuclear negotiations with Washington remain stalled since the June conflict, despite mutual claims of openness to a deal. The West accuses Tehran of pursuing nuclear weapons capability, which Iran denies.
With Reuters, edited by g.g.
Caption: An Iranian man walks next to an anti-US and Israeli billboard carrying a message from the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, reading ‘Watch out for your soldiers,’ following a social media message by US President Donald Trump supporting anti-government protests, displayed at Palestine Square in Tehran, Iran, 04 January 2026. Following Trump’s message, the Iranian Foreign Ministry issued a statement condemning his remarks as interference in Iran’s internal affairs. The ministry warned that Tehran’s ‘response to any aggression will be swift, decisive, and comprehensive,’ adding that the United States bears full responsibility for regional instability. EPA/ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH
Updated: January 5, 2026 - 19:15
