President Trump is doing the opposite of former President Barack Obama, who completely ignored the last series of mass protests in Iran. But while most Americans would hope for the Iranian regime to be toppled from within, far fewer have an appetite for the intervention that President Trump is threatening. We can cheer for the Iranian people to succeed without actually sticking our noses into any of it.

The latest unrest in Iran started over the collapsing economy, with the rial tanking so badly that it now takes about 1.4 million of them to buy a single U.S. dollar. Protests kicked off in Tehran but quickly spread to other regions, including the west, where videos show streets on fire and gunfire cracking through the night.

At least seven people are dead so far—protesters and security forces alike—and the government under President Masoud Pezeshkian has shut down businesses and offices in 21 provinces to try to contain it. State TV claims they’ve arrested monarchists and folks tied to European groups, even seizing smuggled weapons, but that sounds like the usual scapegoating to deflect from the real issues.

Trump didn’t hold back in his response. “If Iran shoots and ‘violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue,'” he posted on Truth Social. He followed up with, “We are locked and loaded and ready to go.”

It’s a clear line in the sand, especially after the U.S. bombed Iranian nuclear sites back in June during that short dust-up with Israel. Both Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have kept the pressure on, warning Tehran not to rebuild its nuclear program.

Iran’s leaders are scrambling, saying they’ve stopped enriching uranium altogether in a bid to restart talks and lift sanctions. But with no negotiations happening yet, the economy keeps spiraling, and the protests show no sign of letting up. This echoes the 2022 uprising after Mahsa Amini died in custody, when women led the charge against the regime’s brutal rules. Back then, the mullahs cracked down hard, killing hundreds, and the world mostly watched.

Some see a bigger picture here, with Iran’s theocracy propped up by alliances that stretch to Russia and China, funneling arms and cash to keep the Ayatollah in power while ordinary Iranians suffer. Whispers in intelligence circles suggest foreign agents are stirring the pot in these protests, maybe to force a regime change or draw the U.S. into another endless conflict. After all, the deep state has a history of pushing interventions that drain American blood and treasure for dubious gains.

Pezeshkian’s reformist government talks a good game about listening to protesters, but their hands are tied by the hardliners and the Revolutionary Guard. The supreme leader still calls the shots, and history shows these regimes don’t loosen their grip without a fight. Trump’s stance recalls Ronald Reagan’s firm hand against tyrants, standing up for freedom without necessarily committing troops unless pushed.

For Christians watching this, it’s hard not to think of passages like Psalm 82, where God judges rulers who oppress the weak and fail to deliver justice. The Iranian people, many of them yearning for basic rights, deserve better than a government that squanders resources on proxy wars while its citizens go hungry.

In the end, Trump’s warning might deter more bloodshed, or it could escalate things if Iran doubles down. Americans remember the quagmires of Iraq and Afghanistan all too well, so any intervention is a non-starter for anyone other than the most hawkish NeoCons. Supporting the protesters morally is one thing; jumping in militarily is another. Let’s hope the regime crumbles under its own weight before it comes to that.