Trump Urges Iran Protesters to Persist as Death Toll Rises

WATCH: Slow collapse, slow evolution or slow decay? Chatham House’s Sanam Vakil analyzes the situation in Iran.Source: Bloomberg

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By Arsalan Shahla

January 13, 2026 at 10:21 AM UTC

Updated on

January 13, 2026 at 6:44 PM UTC

US President Donald Trump urged Iranians to continue protests against the regime of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as activist groups warned that thousands may have been killed in more than two weeks of violent unrest.

“KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!” Trump posted on Truth Social on Tuesday, saying he’d canceled all meetings with Iranian officials until the killing of demonstrators stops. “HELP IS ON ITS WAY,” he added, without specifying what that meant.