US President Donald Trump took an unusually direct stance on Tuesday in the ongoing unrest in Iran, urging Iranians to continue massive nationwide protests and take control of the country’s institutions.
In a fiery message shared on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote: “Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!… HELP IS ON ITS WAY.”
He also said he had cancelled all meetings with Iranian officials until the “senseless killing of protesters” stops, signaling a break in diplomatic engagement.
The president’s message appeared intended to encourage anti-government demonstrators, who have been protesting across Iran amid widespread economic hardship and political frustration.
When pressed by reporters on what form the promised “help” would take, Trump declined to provide details, saying, “You’re going to have to figure that one out.”
His administration has also weighed a range of responses, including economic measures such as a 25 % tariff on countries doing business with Iran and even the possibility of military action as one option under consideration.
Iranian authorities condemned Trump’s statements, with a senior security official calling Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the “main killers” of the Iranian people and framing the unrest as influenced by external forces.
Globally, reactions were swift. Russia denounced what it called “subversive external interference” in Iran’s internal politics, warning that any new military action would destabilize regional and international security.
European nations including Britain, France, Germany and Italy summoned Iranian ambassadors to protest the violent crackdown on civilians.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he believed the current regime could be nearing its end, though he offered no specific basis for this assertion.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi dismissed such criticism as double standards and rejected external forecasts about his country’s future.
Trump’s forceful appeals mark an escalation in US involvement in Iran’s internal crisis and reflect a rare moment of open political encouragement directed at a foreign population in upheaval.
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