United States President, Donald Trump, has urged Iranians to continue protesting, saying assistance was on the way as Iran’s clerical leadership intensified its crackdown on the country’s largest demonstrations in years.
Trump made this known in a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, adding that he had cancelled all meetings with Iranian officials until the “senseless killing” of protesters stopped.He wrote, “Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers.
They will pay a big price. I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY.
MIGA!!! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP.”The unrest, triggered by worsening economic conditions, represents the most serious internal challenge to Iran’s rulers in at least three years.
It has also unfolded amid growing international pressure following Israeli and U.S. strikes last year.Reacting to Trump’s remarks, Iranian security chief Ali Larijani said on social media platform X that Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were the “main killers” of the Iranian people.
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An Iranian official said about 2,000 people had been killed since the protests began, marking the first time authorities have released an overall death toll from more than two weeks of nationwide unrest. The official, however, provided no breakdown.
U.S.-based rights group HRANA reported that of the 2,003 deaths it had confirmed, 1,850 were protesters.
The group also said 16,784 people had been detained, a sharp rise from the figure reported a day earlier.On Monday evening, Trump announced a 25% import tariff on products from any country doing business with Iran, a major oil exporter.
He also said further military action was among the options being considered in response to the crackdown.Tehran has yet to respond publicly to the tariff announcement, but China quickly criticised the move.
Iran, already facing heavy U.S. sanctions, exports most of its oil to China, while Turkey, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, and India are among its other key trading partners.
(Reuters)
