U.S. President Donald Trump has urged Iranian citizens to continue their protests and take control of government institutions, assuring them that support is forthcoming.
In a message posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Tuesday, Trump directly addressed Iranian protesters, encouraging them not to relent. “Iranian patriots, keep protesting, take over your institutions!!!” he wrote.
Trump further called on protesters to document the identities of security operatives and officials involved in the crackdown, warning that they would eventually be held accountable. He stated that he had cancelled all engagements with Iranian officials, insisting that dialogue would not resume until what he described as the “senseless killing of protesters” comes to an end.
“Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price,” Trump wrote. “Help is on its way. MIGA — Make Iran Great Again.”
The statement came a day after Trump announced a 25 per cent tariff on any country maintaining bilateral trade relations with Iran, a move that followed his earlier threat to take strong action against Tehran over reports of a brutal suppression of nationwide protests.
The protests, which began on December 28, were triggered by Iran’s deepening economic crisis. Since then, reports indicate that over 2,000 people have been killed amid clashes between demonstrators and state security forces.
Iran has been grappling with severe economic challenges, with inflation soaring to about 42 per cent and the national currency, the rial, crashing to a record low of 1.4 million rials to the U.S. dollar.
For several days, thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets across the country, protesting worsening living conditions and calling for fundamental political change. However, their demonstrations have reportedly been met with violent repression by security agencies loyal to the government.
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