President Trump tells Iranian protestors “help is on its way”

President Trump said Americans in Iran should evacuate the country, in the latest sign that the US may soon take action against Iran for its crackdown on protestors. The president had previously warned the Iranian regime that it would strike if they kept killing protestors.

Mr Trump also said on Tuesday that he’s cutting off the prospect of talks with Iranian officials amid a protest crackdown. Trump did not offer any details about what the help would entail, but it comes after the Republican President just days ago said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic, where the death toll from nationwide protests has spiked to more than 2,000, according to human rights monitors.

But Trump, with his latest message on social media, appeared to make an abrupt shift about his willingness to engage with the Iranian government. “Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!” Trump wrote in a morning post on Truth Social.

“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.”

Trump on Sunday told reporters he believed Iran is “starting to cross” the line that he had set on not killing protestors on a wide scale, and has left him and his national security team weighing “very strong options” even as he said the Iranians had made outreach efforts to the US.

Also on Monday, Trump said he would slap 25% tariffs on countries doing business with Tehran “effective immediately. China, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Brazil and Russia are among economies that do business with Tehran.

Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and key White House National Security Council officials began meeting Friday to develop options for Trump, ranging from a diplomatic approach to military strikes.

Iran, through the country’s parliamentary speaker, has warned that the US military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if Washington uses force to protect demonstrators.

More than 600 protests have taken place across all of Iran’s 31 provinces, the Human Rights Activists News Agency reported Tuesday. The activist group said 1,850 of the dead were protesters and 135 were government-affiliated. It said more than 16,700 people had been detained.