On Tuesday, President Donald Trump urged the people of Iran to “take over” the country’s institutions on saying he has canceled all planned meetings with the Iranian regime until its crackdown on unrest ends.
“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
“I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY. MIGA!!!” he continued, referencing “Make Iran Great Again.”
The death toll from nationwide protests grew to 2,000, The Associated Press reported, citing activists.
Trump’s message to Iranians has become increasingly intense in recent days. In addition to encouraging anti-government protests, Trump threatened earlier this week to impose a 25 percent tariff on any country conducting business with Iran if they also do business with the U.S.
The White House confirmed on Monday that Trump was weighing whether to bomb Iran in reaction to the crackdown.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that diplomacy remains Trump’s first option, but that the president “has shown he’s unafraid to use military options if and when he deems necessary.”
“He certainly doesn’t want to see people being killed in the streets of Tehran. And unfortunately that’s something we are seeing right now,” she added.
Iranian authorities have invoked deadly force against anti-regime protesters and have cut off public internet access in an effort to stop images and video from spreading across the globe.
Fox News reported that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz went so far as to predict an end to Ayatollah Ali Khamenie’s regime.
“I assume that we are now witnessing the final days and weeks of this regime,” he told reporters while in India on Tuesday.
“When a regime can only maintain power through violence, then it is effectively at its end. The population is now rising up against this regime,” he added.
