“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!” Trump wrote on his social media site on Tuesday, adding: “Help is on its way.”
Pressed by reporters on what he meant, Trump replied: “You’re gonna have to figure that one out.”
The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported on Tuesday that at least 2,403 people have been killed and more than 18,000 arrested since protests began more than two weeks ago.
Iranian authorities have not released official figures. The demonstrations began in Tehran over economic grievances and have since spread to 614 locations across all 31 provinces.
Among the dead are at least 12 children, HRANA said. Iranian state media has reported over 100 security personnel killed.
The US State Department issued an alert urging Americans to “leave Iran now,” citing escalating violence and ongoing internet blackouts.
Trump also announced a new 25-percent tariff on all countries doing business with Iran, calling the order “final and conclusive.”
China, one of Iran’s key trading partners, responded by warning there are “no winners in a tariff war.”
Speaking to CBS News, Trump said the United States would take “very strong actions” if Iranian authorities executed protesters.
Military options remain “on the table,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters, though she emphasized diplomacy as the president’s first choice.
Vice President JD Vance led an Iran strategy session with National Security Council principals on Tuesday, and US officials say sanctions targeting Iran’s energy and banking sectors are under consideration.
Poland and other countries have also urged their citizens to leave Iran. France and Qatar are among countries appealing for calm. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke with his French counterpart on Tuesday, while Qatar’s prime minister held talks with Iran’s top security chief, according to reports.
Iranian leaders have accused the United States and Israel of stoking unrest. Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, claimed online that Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were the “main killers of the people of Iran.”
A US official was quoted as saying on Tuesday that Washington was "watching the situation closely and will act accordingly.”
(jh/gs)
Source: PAP, IAR, ABC, Al Jazeera