Trump Calls for Protesters in Iran to Seize Power
Iranian officials accuse Washington and Tel Aviv of playing a "big hand" in the turmoil, characterizing the upheaval as a foreign-orchestrated "terrorist war."
Speaking to the Detroit Economic Club on Tuesday—and simultaneously posting on Truth Social—Trump urged action: "All Iranian patriots, keep protesting."
"Take over your institutions if possible. And save the names of the killers and the abusers that are abusing you," he continued, warning they would "pay a very big price."
The demonstrations erupted in late December amid a currency crisis that has sent the rial into freefall. Official reports place the death toll in the hundreds, though Western outlets and rights organizations estimate casualties reaching into the thousands. Trump acknowledged uncertainty surrounding the figures, indicating his administration's approach hinges on confirmed data.
"We're going to get some accurate numbers... The killing looks like it's significant, but we don't know yet for certain," he informed journalists.
When questioned about his declaration that "help is on its way," Trump provided an expansive response during an interview. "Well there's a lot of help on the way and in different forms, including economic help from our standpoint and not going to help Iran very much," he explained, alluding to fresh tariffs imposed on nations conducting trade with Iran.
Military intervention remains a possibility, Trump suggested, invoking prior U.S. operations in Venezuela and the targeted killings of ISIS chief al-Baghdadi and Iranian General Qasem Soleimani as precedents for his foreign policy approach.
"The end game is to win. I like winning," he declared.
Tehran has previously cautioned that American military assets across the Middle East could become targets should the U.S. attempt interference.
The U.S. State Department on Monday issued an urgent advisory directing all American nationals in Iran to "leave now," warning of arbitrary arrest risks and the threat of rapid escalation. Canada, Australia, Germany, and France have released comparable travel warnings for their citizens.
Moscow has charged Western powers with attempting to "destroy the Iranian state" by weaponizing economic discontent to trigger a color revolution. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova attributed the social unrest to U.S. sanctions and denounced Trump's military threats as "absolutely unacceptable."
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