US President Donald Trump announced he has scrapped all meetings with Iranian officials, while urging demonstrators to seize your institutions as Tehran intensifies its crackdown.
Posting on Truth Social Tuesday, Trump promised that “help is on the way,” though he offered no specifics. In recent days, he has repeatedly floated the possibility of launching military strikes against Iran.
“Iranian patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS! Record the names of the killers and abusers. They will face consequences,” Trump wrote.
“I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY. MIGA!!! [MAGA].”
Trump has long threatened military action as leverage against Tehran, and last week warned that a violent response to protests could trigger US attacks.
On Monday, he declared that any nation conducting trade with Iran would face a 25 percent tariff. The following day, the State Department issued a travel advisory urging American citizens to leave Iran immediately as tensions escalate.
When pressed by reporters on Tuesday to explain his remark that “help is on the way,” Trump refused to elaborate. “You’re going to have to figure that one out. I’m sorry,” he replied.
Later, in an interview with CBS News, he reiterated that the United States would take “very strong actions” if Iran’s authorities carried out executions of protesters. He added that he had not yet been given reliable figures on the number of deaths.
Meanwhile, Trump met with his national security advisers Tuesday to discuss possible steps regarding Iran, as he sought clearer information on how many citizens have been killed or detained during more than two weeks of nationwide unrest.
Trump said he believes the scale of the killing is “significant” and vowed his administration would “act accordingly.” He also accused Iran’s leadership of “badly misbehaving.”
The president noted he has yet to receive a verified death toll from the protests that erupted late last month, saying he has heard “five different sets of numbers” about fatalities.
According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency, which relies on a network of contacts inside Iran, at least 2,571 people have been killed and 16,700 arrested since demonstrations began on 28 December, with most of the victims identified as protesters.
“The message is they’ve got to show humanity,” Trump said of Iran’s government. “They’ve got a big problem. And I hope they’re not going to be killing people.”
Earlier he claimed that Iran was seeking negotiations with Washington following his threat to strike the Islamic Republic.
The president’s latest statements suggested a sudden shift in his stance toward engaging with Tehran.
