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“Patriots of Iran, keep protesting and take over your institutions,” Trump wrote, adding: “Help is on the way.”
By United with Israel Staff
President Donald Trump issued an unusually forceful message to Iranians on Tuesday, calling on what he described as “Iranian patriots” to continue protesting and seize control of state institutions, while warning that those responsible for killing demonstrators would face severe consequences.
“Patriots of Iran, keep protesting. Take over your institutions,” Trump wrote. “Remember the names of the murderers and abusers. They will pay a heavy price.” Trump said he had canceled all meetings with Iranian officials until what he called the “senseless killing of protesters” ends, adding, “Help is on the way.”
Asked later about the meaning of the message while touring a factory in Detroit, Trump declined to elaborate, telling reporters, “You’re going to have to figure that one out.”
Trump also addressed conflicting reports on the death toll from the unrest, saying no one has provided him with a definitive figure. “I’ve heard numbers much lower and much higher,” he said. “All of it is a lot. One is a lot.”
Iranian officials responded sharply. Ali Larijani, a senior figure in the Iranian political establishment, rejected Trump’s remarks and accused Washington and Jerusalem of responsibility for bloodshed inside Iran. “We declare the names of the main murderers of the Iranian people: Trump and Netanyahu,” Larijani said, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Earlier, Iran’s military leadership warned that it views Israel as an existential threat. The commander of Iran’s armed forces said the so-called Zionist regime poses a “real and existential danger” to Iran, adding that Tehran is preparing accordingly.
Meanwhile, reports on casualties continue to vary widely amid severe restrictions on information. The human rights organization HRANA said at least 2,000 people have been killed nationwide, including 1,847 protesters and 135 members of regime forces, with more than 16,700 arrests reported. Sources cited by CBS News put the death toll far higher, estimating at least 12,000 fatalities and possibly as many as 20,000.
The unrest has continued for weeks, fueled by economic hardship and political repression, as international concern mounts over the scale of violence and the risk of further regional escalation.
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