At least 16 people have been killed ‌during a week of unrest in Iran, rights groups said on Sunday, as protests over soaring inflation spread ‍across the country, prompting violent clashes between demonstrators and security forces.

Deaths and arrests have been reported throughout the week both by state media and rights groups, though the numbers have differed. Reporters have not been able to verify the figures independently.

The protests are the biggest in three years and while smaller than some previous ⁠bouts of unrest to rattle the Islamic Republic, they come at a moment of vulnerability with the economy in tatters and international pressure building.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to come to the protesters’ aid if they face violence, saying on Friday “we are locked and loaded and ready to go,” but without specifying any actions he was considering.

Supreme leader says Iran will not yield

That warning prompted threats of ‍retaliation against US forces in the region from senior Iranian officials, and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Iran “will not yield to the enemy”.

Kurdish ‍rights group Hengaw reported that at least 17 people had been killed since the start of the protests. HRANA, a network of rights activists, said at least 16 people had been killed and 582 arrested.