Washington– Washington (AFP) – President Donald Trump He said on Tuesday that he had cut off the possibility of talks with Iranian officials amid the protest campaign, telling Iranian citizens that “help is on the way.”
Trump did not provide any details about what the aid would entail, but it comes after the Republican president said just days ago Iran wants to negotiate With Washington after threatening to strike the Islamic Republic, as the death toll from protests across the country rose to more than 2,000, according to human rights monitors.
But Trump, with his latest social media message, appears to have made a sudden change in 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 aggressors. They will pay a heavy price. I have canceled all meetings with Iranian officials until the senseless killing of protesters stops. Help is on the way.”
The American President has risen Tehran has repeatedly threatened to take military action If his administration finds that the Islamic Republic is using lethal force against anti-government protesters. Trump told reporters on Sunday that he believed Iran was “starting to cross” that line and left him and the national security team to consider “very strong options” even as he said the Iranians had made efforts to reach out to the United States.
On Monday, the president’s team expressed cautious hope that a diplomatic solution could be reached.
White House press secretary Carolyn Leavitt said: “What you hear publicly from the Iranian regime is very different from the messages the administration receives privately, and I think the president has an interest in exploring those messages.” He told reporters on Monday. “However, the president has shown that he is not afraid to use military options if he deems it necessary, and no one knows that better than Iran.”
Trump also said on Monday that he would impose 25% tariffs on countries doing business with Tehran “effective immediately,” but the White House did not provide details about the move. China, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Brazil and Russia are among the economies that do business with Tehran.
Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and key officials on the White House National Security Council began meeting on Friday to develop options for Trump, ranging from a diplomatic approach to military strikes.
Iran has warned, through the speaker of the country’s parliament, that the US military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if Washington used force to protect protesters.
more than 600 protests The Human Rights Activists News Agency reported on Tuesday that these events occurred in all 31 provinces of Iran. The activist group said that 1,850 of those killed were protesters and 135 were affiliated with the government. She added that more than 16,700 people were arrested.
It was difficult to comprehend the scale of the protests. Iranian official media provided little information about the demonstrations. Online videos offer only short, shaky glimpses of people on the streets or the sounds of gunfire.
Trump’s pressure on the Iranian government to end the crackdown comes as he deals with a series of other foreign policy emergencies around the world.
It has been just over a week since the US military launched a successful raid To arrest Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro And removed him from power. The United States continues to bloc An unusually large number of troops In the Caribbean Sea.
Trump is also focused on trying to bring Israel and Hamas into the second phase of the Gaza peace agreement and brokering an agreement between them Russia and Ukraine To end the nearly four-year-long war in Eastern Europe.
But advocates urging Trump to take strong action against Iran say this moment offers an opportunity to further reduce the theocratic government that has ruled the country since then. Islamic Revolution of 1979.
The demonstrations are the largest Iran has seen in years – protests sparked by the collapse of Iran’s currency that have turned into a bigger test for the supreme leader. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Oppressive rule.