Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
President Donald Trump has publicly urged Iranian protesters to intensify their campaign against the country’s clerical leadership, ruling out talks with Tehran and signaling stronger U.S. involvement as unrest inside Iran deepens and the reported death toll climbs above 2,000.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday, Trump directly addressed demonstrators, encouraging them to persist in their efforts to dismantle state institutions. “Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price,” he wrote. Trump added that he had canceled all meetings with Iranian officials “until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS,” concluding with the message: “HELP IS ON ITS WAY.”
The statement marked Trump’s most explicit endorsement yet of the antigovernment movement that has swept Iran since late December. The protests were initially driven by sharp economic deterioration, including soaring inflation, the collapse of the rial, and growing hardship for ordinary Iranians. What began as demonstrations over living costs has since evolved into one of the most sustained challenges to the Islamic Republic in years, with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets across major cities and provincial towns.
According to Human Rights Activists in Iran, a Norway-based group that monitors unrest in the country, more than 2,000 people have been killed since the protests began. The group said late Tuesday that the dead include approximately 1,850 protesters and 135 members of the security forces. It also reported that nearly 16,800 people have been arrested, underscoring the scale of the government’s response.
The death toll has risen sharply since Iranian authorities imposed widespread internet shutdowns last week and vowed to crush what they describe as violent unrest. The communications blackout has made independent verification difficult, but videos and eyewitness accounts that have emerged show intense clashes, the use of live ammunition, and mass detentions.
Trump’s comments come amid growing speculation about potential U.S. actions. He has repeatedly warned that Washington could intervene, prompting U.S. officials to review a range of options, including military strikes on Iranian targets, cyber operations, and expanded economic measures. Officials have emphasized that no action is imminent, but confirmed that Trump has received briefings outlining possible scenarios.
Behind the scenes, Iranian diplomats have been seeking ways to defuse tensions and avoid a direct confrontation with the United States. According to an Arab diplomat and a senior European official, Tehran has explored restarting talks on its nuclear program and persuading Washington to stand down from military threats. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has floated the idea of meeting U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in Switzerland, possibly ahead of the upcoming World Economic Forum.
In a notable shift, Iranian officials have indicated they are now open to direct talks with the United States, reversing their previous insistence on indirect negotiations. However, Iran continues to insist on its right to enrich uranium, a position that remains a major obstacle and is unlikely to gain acceptance in Washington.
As protests continue and international pressure mounts, Trump’s rhetoric has injected an additional layer of uncertainty into an already volatile situation. For Iran’s leadership, the challenge is no longer only domestic unrest but the risk that internal instability could draw the country into a broader confrontation with the United States and its allies.
