Iran’s army chief has threatened preemptive military action over the “rhetoric” targeting the Islamic Republic. The comments Wednesday by Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami likely refer to U.S. President Donald Trump’s warning that if Tehran “violently kills peaceful protesters,” America “will come to their rescue.” It also likely is an effort to show strength as protests sparked by economic woes have grown into a direct challenge to its theocracy. Iran’s government separately began Wednesday paying the equivalent of $7 a month to subsidize rising costs for dinner-table essentials like rice, meat and pastas. But already, shopkeepers warn prices for items as basic as cooking oil likely will triple.
