U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged Iranians to sustain nationwide protests and to remember those responsible for abuses, saying help was coming as Iran intensified its crackdown on the biggest demonstrations in years.
“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!… HELP IS ON ITS WAY,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. He later told Iranians to «save the name of the killers and the abusers… because they’ll pay a very big price.»
Iran accused Trump of inciting violence and destabilisation. For the first time, an Iranian official acknowledged an overall death toll, saying about 2,000 people had been killed during more than two weeks of unrest.
U.S.-based rights group HRANA said it had confirmed 2,003 deaths, including 1,850 protesters, and reported 16,784 detentions.
«The killing looks like it’s significant, but we don’t know yet for certain,» Trump said, adding, «We’ll act accordingly.» He has said military action is among the options he is weighing.
Iran’s UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani accused Washington of threatening Iran’s sovereignty, saying Trump was «inciting violence» and seeking to undermine the government.
The protests, triggered by economic hardship, began on December 28 and have since expanded into calls for the fall of Iran’s clerical establishment. Authorities have combined a security crackdown with claims that economic grievances are legitimate, while Western governments have condemned the rising death toll.
