US President Donald Trump said Thursday that the US will hit Iran “very hard” if it starts killing protestors, as that country has been rocked by protests since last month regarding worsening economic conditions.

“If they start killing people, which they tend to do during their riots, they have lots of riots. If they do it, we're going to hit them very hard,” Trump said in an interview with the Hugh Hewitt Show.

“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,” he added.

Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance said the US supports peaceful protestors worldwide, including in Iran.

“We certainly stand by anybody who's engaged in peaceful protests … who are advocating for their rights,” he told reporters at a news conference at the White House.

He stressed the importance of negotiations about Iran’s nuclear program, adding that the “smartest thing” for Tehran is “a real negotiation” with the US on its nuclear program.

Protests started Dec. 28 at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, the heart of the capital’s business activity, about the sharp depreciation of the Iranian rial and worsening economic conditions. The rial recently slid past 1,350,000 against the dollar. Demonstrations later spread to several other cities.

Iranian authorities have not released official figures about casualties, but the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) said in a report published Wednesday, marking the 11th day of protests, that at least 38 people were killed, including four members of security forces. The agency also reported dozens of injuries and 2,217 arrests.

The Tasnim news agency said the number of police officers injured during the protests rose to 568, while 66 members of the paramilitary Basij forces were also wounded. (AA)

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