U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on Friday to come to the aid of protesters in Iran if security forces fire on them, days into unrest that has left several dead and posed the biggest internal threat to Iranian authorities in years.

It was only a matter of time until such gloom gave rise to another round of mass protest. The only question was what would trigger it. It came from an unlikely corner on December 28th, when electronics vendors in Tehran went on strike.

U.S. President Donald Trump and top Iranian officials have exchanged dueling threats as widening economic protests swept across parts of the Islamic Republic.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for dialogue with protest leaders over the cost-of-living crisis and speaking before Trump’s threat, said failings by the authorities were behind the economic crisis and “it is us who have to find a solution.”

People protesting deteriorating economic conditions in Iran took to the streets across several of the country’s provinces over the past day, with some demonstrations turning deadly after clashes with police.

President Trump warned Iran not to kill protesters. A top Iranian official fired back to stay out of it, alleging the U.S. and Israel were stoking the economic protests sweeping parts of Iran.

Anti-regime protests entered a fifth day as demonstrations spread across Tehran and other cities, with reports of deaths emerging amid escalating nationwide unrest.

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who served as the shah of Iran from 1941 to 1979, urged people to look at the country during and after his leadership when he was asked about how Iranians will judge him 50 years later during an interview.

In today’s newsletter: Witnesses describe the chaos as the fire that killed 40 at a Swiss ski resort bar broke out. Trump threatens to intervene if Iran kills peaceful protesters. And Will Smith is sued over allegations he retaliated against a former employee who reported sexual harassment.