President Donald Trump warned Sunday that Iran would get "hit very hard" by the United States if more protesters die.

Axar.az informs, citing France 24, "We're watching it very closely. If they start killing people like they have in the past, I think they're going to get hit very hard by the United States," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One -- a day after the American operation to capture Tehran's ally Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

New deadly clashes between protesters and security forces erupted in Iran, rights groups and local media said Sunday, as demonstrations first sparked by anger over the rising cost of living entered a second week.

At least 12 people, including members of the security forces, have been killed since the protests kicked off with a shopkeepers' strike in Tehran on December 28, according to a toll based on official reports.