President Trump is using protests in Iran to issue warnings of possible US military intervention, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from Republicans aligned with the America First movement and renewed concerns about foreign entanglements.
The president’s statements come as Israel presses Washington to support action against Iran over what it claims are renewed efforts by Tehran to expand its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Critics say the convergence of Israeli lobbying and US threats risks pulling the United States into another Middle Eastern conflict unrelated to its direct national defense.
Protests in Iran began earlier this week following a sharp decline in the value of the national currency and quickly broadened into demonstrations against the government. In response Trump warned publicly that the United States would intervene if Iranian authorities used force against demonstrators and said the country was prepared for military action. His comments raised alarm among lawmakers who argue that such rhetoric escalates an internal Iranian crisis and places American troops at risk.
While some Republicans supported a hard line against Iran others accused the president of abandoning the non interventionist approach that formed the core of his campaign message. Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky said the situation had nothing to do with defending free speech in Iran and instead reflected concerns over oil financial interests and foreign influence. He argued that military intervention would waste American resources on another country’s internal affairs and emphasized that any use of force would require congressional authorization.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia also criticized the threats saying that sending US troops into Iran contradicted what many voters supported in the last election.
Senior Iranian officials responded by warning that US involvement would destabilize the region and endanger American forces stationed throughout the Middle East. Iranian leaders said Washington would bear responsibility for any escalation resulting from intervention in what they described as an internal matter.
The president’s remarks followed a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar a Lago where both leaders warned Iran against restarting ballistic missile production or nuclear activities. Although the protests in Iran had already begun they were not mentioned during the leaders’ public statements.
Trump said that if Iran attempted to rebuild its military capabilities the United States would have no choice but to act quickly. US defense officials previously said that strikes carried out during a brief conflict last year significantly delayed Iran’s nuclear program. Netanyahu has since argued that Iran is attempting to rebuild those capabilities.
Human rights advocates critical of the Iranian government expressed concern over reports of casualties and the use of force against protesters. According to analysis by the Institute for the Study of War demonstrations have spread to more than half of Iran’s provinces with security forces using live fire and water cannons to disperse crowds despite a severe water shortage.
The Institute said the use of water as a crowd control tool during a national water crisis underscored the regime’s focus on preserving power rather than addressing public hardship.
Some activists praised Trump’s willingness to confront Iran citing past US actions against Iranian military leaders. Others questioned whether military threats would ultimately help protesters or instead worsen conditions by provoking a wider conflict.
As debate continues critics of intervention argue that repeated threats of force risk entangling the United States in another prolonged conflict without clear objectives or public support. They say the situation highlights a growing divide within the Republican Party over whether America First means assertive military action abroad or restraint and a focus on domestic priorities.
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