US PRESIDENT Donald Trump warned Iran against using violence to suppress protests, saying the United States is closely monitoring situation and would respond forcefully if Iranian authorities begin killing civilians. Aboard Air Force One on his way back to the White House from Mar-a-Lago, Trump was asked about reports of protesters being killed in Iran and his earlier comments that the US was “locked and loaded.” “We’ll take a look,” Trump said. “We’re watching it very closely.”

 

Trump drew a clear line around the use of lethal force by Iranian authorities. “If they start killing people as they have in the past, I think they’re going to get hit very hard by the United States,” he said. The President did not specify what form a US response might take, nor did he outline any immediate military or economic measures. Notably, the US has deployed considerable military asset in the region. Trump’s comments in response to a question, however, underscored that Washington is actively tracking developments inside Iran and considering its options. But he gave no timeline or trigger point. “We’re watching it very closely,” he reiterated.

 

The comments came amid broader remarks by Trump linking instability in several regions to US national security concerns. Throughout the Air Force One exchange, Trump repeatedly framed unrest, drug trafficking, and authoritarian violence as interconnected threats that require decisive responses. While Trump did not draw direct comparisons during his Iran remarks, his warning followed strong language directed at Venezuela, Cuba, and other countries he described as destabilising forces in their regions. Trump has previously accused Iran of violently suppressing dissent during past waves of protests and has used economic sanctions and military deterrence as pressure tools. In this exchange, he stopped short of announcing new measures, instead emphasising vigilance and readiness. “If they start killing people,” Trump said, repeating the condition under which US action could follow.

 

 

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump has once again said that the United States needs Greenland for national security reasons, a day after strikes on Venezuela, which resulted in the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday night, Trump said Greenland was critical to US security due growing presence of Russia and China in the Arctic region. “We need Greenland. ... It’s so strategic right now. Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place,” Trump said. “We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it.” “The European Union needs us to have it, and they know that,” he said. Trump’s remarks came just a day after the US carried out a dramatic military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife during an overnight raid in Caracas. Trump has repeatedly stated that he wants to annex Greenland, a vast, resource-rich island in the Atlantic that is a self-governing territory of Denmark. He has argued that taking control of Greenland is necessary for American defence interests. Both Greenland and Denmark, a NATO ally of the United States, have consistently rejected the idea. Reacting strongly, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called on Trump to stop making threats over Greenland. “It makes absolutely no sense to talk about the need for the United States to take over Greenland,” Frederiksen said in a statement. “The US has no right to annex any of the three nations in the Danish kingdom,” she added. “I would therefore strongly urge the US stop the threats against a historically close ally and against another country and another people, who have very clearly said that they are not for sale,” Frederiksen said.