Trump urges Iranians to ‘keep protesting, take over institutions’, says ‘help is on its way’

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged Iranian protesters to “keep protesting” and declared that “help is on its way,” signaling strong support for the ongoing unrest in Iran.

While Trump stopped short of clarifying whether the United States would directly intervene, he said he had cancelled all meetings with Iranian officials amid the crackdown on demonstrators. In a sharply worded message, Trump also encouraged protesters to “take over institutions,” in an unusually explicit endorsement of the movement against the Iranian regime.

“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING — TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! 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,” Trump wrote in a social media post, adding, “HELP IS ON ITS WAY.”

Trump’s remarks came amid heightened US actions related to Iran and a series of White House statements suggesting that several options remain under consideration. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Monday that airstrikes are among the “many, many options” being reviewed, while emphasizing that diplomacy remains the administration’s “first option.”

Iran is currently facing widespread political unrest, with protests raging across the country for nearly two weeks following a sharp fall in the value of the national currency. Around 2,000 people, including security personnel, have reportedly been killed during the clashes.

The latest attack by Trump on the Iranian government followed his announcement on Monday of a 25% import tariff on goods from any country that continues to do business with Iran. He has also said that further military action remains on the table to punish Tehran over its handling of the protests, declaring earlier this month that the US is “locked and loaded.”