WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged Iranians to continue protests against their government, saying “help is on the way,” as Iran grappled with its largest demonstrations in years sparked by worsening economic conditions.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump called on protesters to “take over your institutions” and announced he had cancelled all meetings with Iranian officials until what he described as the “senseless killing” of protesters stopped. He did not provide details on the nature of the assistance he referenced.
The unrest has emerged as the most serious internal challenge to Iran’s leadership in at least three years, unfolding amid mounting international pressure following Israeli and US strikes last year. An Iranian official, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, blamed what he termed “terrorists” for the deaths of both protesters and security personnel, without providing a breakdown of casualties.
On Monday, Trump announced 25% import tariffs on products from any country doing business with Iran, a major oil exporter. He also said further military action remained an option, reiterating earlier remarks that the United States was “locked and loaded.”
Tehran has yet to respond publicly to the tariff announcement, though China swiftly criticised the move. Iran, already under heavy US sanctions, exports much of its oil to China, with Turkey, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and India among its other key trading partners.
Russia strongly condemned what it described as “subversive external interference” in Iran’s internal affairs. In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said US threats of new military strikes were “categorically unacceptable,” warning of disastrous consequences for regional and global security.
Despite the scale of the protests and Iran’s deep economic challenges, there have so far been no visible signs of a split within the country’s security establishment that could threaten the system in place since the 1979 revolution.
However, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he believed the Iranian government was nearing collapse, stating that the regime was in its “final days and weeks” if it had to rely on violence to maintain power. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi rejected the remarks, accusing Berlin of double standards and dismissing them as lacking credibility.
