The capture of Nicolás Maduro will force officials in Tehran to consider a broader range of risks as Trump threatens to intervene.

"We are locked and loaded and ready to go," the president said on Truth Social early Friday, after economic protests in the Islamic Republic took a sharply violent turn.

Tehran also increasingly cut back its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, as tensions increased over its nuclear program in recent years. The IAEA’s director-general has warned Iran could build as many as 10 nuclear bombs, should it decide to weaponize its program.

Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro's capture deals devastating blow to Iran's Western Hemisphere interests, experts say, weakening Tehran's anti-American alliance in South America.

President Donald Trump said overnight the United States is "locked and loaded" as he warned Iran not to kill peaceful protesters as nationwide unrest unfolds in Tehran.

Iran tension soars, Trump warns violence against protesters could bring an American intervention: "We are locked and loaded and ready to go."

Trump threatens U.S. intervention if Iran violently suppresses ongoing protests, escalating tensions after last year's 12-day war between Israel and Iran.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed not to yield after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to come to the aid of protesters, as rights groups reported a sharp rise in arrests following days of unrest sparked by soaring inflation.

U.S. sanctions on Iran have taken a heavy toll on the country’s economy, contributing to the current protest movement.

Iran’s supreme leader has addressed the ongoing protests, insisting that “rioters must be put in their place.”