Iran is no stranger to street protests, but several factors surrounding the current unrest make it very serious.
Monday marks the ninth day since demonstrations broke out, yet even four or five days were enough for President Trump to issue a direct warning to Iranian leaders over the treatment of protesters, saying the US was "locked and loaded". Then came the US special forces operation targeting Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, followed by a second warning on Sunday.
Such direct and potential threats from a sitting US president, issued while protests are still ongoing, are highly unusual and could embolden demonstrators and encourage the unrest to spread further.
Iranian police and security forces have already responded violently almost from the outset, and reports by human rights groups claim that more than 20 people have already been killed. Now eyes are on Trump's possible move.
The protests, which began peacefully on Sunday 28 December, were initially driven by public anger over soaring inflation and the sharp devaluation of the local currency against the US dollar which now stands at about 80% higher than a year ago.
