Iran Mocks Trump’s ‘Locked and Loaded’ Threat, Cites US Exit From Afghanistan and Iraq

Iran has sharply responded to a military threat issued by former US President Donald Trump, with a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei mocking Washington’s record of foreign interventions and warning of serious consequences if Iran’s security is challenged.

The response came shortly after Trump warned of possible US military action against Tehran, stating that the United States was “locked and loaded” to intervene if Iranian authorities used force against peaceful protesters. His remarks were made amid reports of unrest and anti-government slogans circulating on social media.

Reacting swiftly, Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader and a key figure in the country’s security establishment, dismissed Trump’s warning as reckless and uninformed. In a post on X, Shamkhani said Iranians were well aware of what he described as America’s “rescue operations,” referencing US military withdrawals from Afghanistan, Iraq, and more recently, its role in the Gaza conflict.

Shamkhani pointed specifically to the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, which ended a two-decade-long military presence. He noted that the exit was followed by the collapse of the Afghan government and the Taliban’s takeover, with large quantities of US-funded weapons and military equipment left behind. According to Iranian officials, this episode exposed what they view as the limits of American military power and planning.

He also cited the US pullout from Iraq in the early 2010s, arguing that the vacuum created by the withdrawal contributed to regional instability and the rise of extremist groups such as ISIS, which plunged Iraq into years of violence and conflict.

Accusing Trump of “adventurism,” Shamkhani warned that any attempt to intervene in Iran under the pretext of protecting protesters would be met with a swift and severe response. He stressed that Iran’s national security was a “red line” and not subject to threats or intimidation through public statements or social media posts.

“Iranians know the US rescue record well. Any intervening hand nearing Iran’s security will be cut off with a regret-inducing response,” Shamkhani said, reinforcing Tehran’s long-standing position against foreign interference.

Earlier, Trump had issued a direct warning to Iran’s leadership, stating that if Iranian forces fired on protesters, the United States would intervene militarily. His comments followed reports of chants calling for the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader and the return of the country’s former monarchy.

Iranian officials, however, have dismissed these reports. Ahmad Alamolhoda, a senior cleric and representative of the Supreme Leader in Iran’s Razavi Khorasan province, claimed that videos showing anti-government chants were fabricated using artificial intelligence. He alleged that foreign and Israeli-linked media outlets manipulated footage to create the impression of widespread opposition to the Islamic Republic.

Alamolhoda said slogans such as “Mullahs must leave Iran” and “Javid Shah” were digitally inserted to misrepresent public sentiment and destabilise the country.

The exchange underscores escalating rhetorical tensions between Tehran and Washington, even as both sides remain wary of direct confrontation. While Trump’s remarks have reignited debate over US interventionism, Iran’s response signals that it views such threats as hollow, rooted in what it sees as past American failures rather than present strength.