Trump calls on Iranians to seize institutions, says help is on the way
Shafaq News– Washington
US President Donald Trump urged on Tuesday Iranian protestors to keep protesting and said help was on the way.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump said, “TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!.,” adding he had canceled all meetings with Iranian officials until the “senseless killing” of protesters stopped.
Reuters cited an Iranian official who said earlier that about 2,000 people had been killed in the protests, the first time authorities have acknowledged the high death toll from more than two weeks of nationwide unrest.
The official said, “terrorists were behind the deaths of both protesters and security personnel.”
Earlier, Trump announced 25% import tariffs on products from any country doing business with Iran, saying that military action is among the options he is weighing to punish Iran over the crackdown.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told Al Jazeera on Monday that he had continued to communicate with US special envoy Steve Witkoff during the protests and that Tehran was studying ideas proposed by Washington.
Tehran has repeatedly accused the United States and Israel of directing efforts to destabilize the country. Araghchi previously described the early demonstrations as “peaceful and constitutionally legitimate,” adding that the situation escalated only after armed groups infiltrated rallies and turned them violent.
