In a Truth Social post, Trump said he has canceled meetings with Iranian officials amid widespread demonstrations in the country, and called on protesters to "take over" Iranian institutions.
"Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price," Trump wrote.
"I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY. MIGA!!!" he continued, referencing "Make Iran Great Again."
The death toll amid growing protests in Iran is believed to be in the thousands, with an Iranian official putting the figure at 2,000 but human rights groups estimating those numbers could be far higher.
The unnamed Iranian official said that 2,000 people, including security personnel, have been killed in protests in Iran, now in their third week. Iranian officials have called the protesters "terrorists" and accused them of rioting.
But Iran International, a London-based, Persian-language news channel, wrote in an editorial on Tuesday that it believes 12,000 people have been killed. They called it the largest killing in Iran's contemporary history, taking place over two nights between Jan. 8 and 9.
Trump has threatened military action against the regime if it cracks down on protests, warning on Sunday the government was "starting" to cross his red line.
Demonstrations began in late December over economic hardship but have grown into wide-spread anger against the regime of the Islamic Republic.
Trump was set to meet Tuesday with his top cabinet officials to go over options to respond, and Vice President Vance also was to lead Iran strategy meeting with the president's national security team.
Experts and former U.S. officials say short of military strikes, the president can provide important non-kinetic support like helping protesters access the internet or carrying out cyber actions to disrupt regime command and control centers.
Read full report at thehill.com.
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