Iran’s most severe unrest in years intensified this week as international pressure mounted on Tehran over its violent response to mass demonstrations, prompting sharp warnings from U.S. President Donald Trump and rare predictions of regime collapse from European leaders.
Iranian security forces have used lethal force against anti-regime protesters and imposed sweeping internet shutdowns to curb the spread of images and video from the streets.
Writing on Truth Social, Trump directly addressed the Iranian public, urging them to seize control of state institutions and warning those responsible for violence that they would be held accountable.
“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!” Trump wrote. “Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price.”
In a separate post, he added: “I have canceled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY.”
Iran’s most severe unrest in years intensified this week as international pressure mounted on Tehran over its violent response to mass demonstrations, prompting sharp warnings from U.S. President Donald Trump and rare predictions of regime collapse from European leaders.
Iranian security forces have used lethal force against anti-regime protesters and imposed sweeping internet shutdowns to curb the spread of images and video from the streets.
Since the demonstrations began, at least 646 protesters have been killed, according to confirmed figures, while Reuters cited an unnamed Iranian official who put the death toll at 2,000.
The unrest marks the largest wave of protests since nationwide demonstrations erupted in 2022 following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody.
Against that backdrop, Trump announced Tuesday that the United States has halted all engagement with Iran’s leadership, citing the ongoing crackdown.
Writing on Truth Social, he directly addressed the Iranian public, urging them to seize control of state institutions and warning those responsible for violence that they would be held accountable.
“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!” Trump wrote. “Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price.”
In a separate post, he added: “I have canceled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY.”
Iranian officials had previously claimed they were in contact with U.S. representatives despite the unrest.
The White House confirmed on Monday that Trump was weighing military options in response to the situation. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said diplomacy remains the administration’s preferred course, while underscoring that force has not been ruled out.
“Diplomacy remains Trump’s first option,” Leavitt told reporters, adding that the president “has shown he’s unafraid to use military options if and when he deems necessary.”
“He certainly doesn’t want to see people being killed in the streets of Tehran. And unfortunately that’s something we are seeing right now,” she said.
The crisis has also drawn blunt assessments from U.S. allies. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz suggested the Iranian leadership may be nearing its end, telling reporters during a visit to India that the regime’s reliance on violence signals its weakness.
“I assume that we are now witnessing the final days and weeks of this regime,” Merz said. “When a regime can only maintain power through violence, then it is effectively at its end. The population is now rising up against this regime.”
As protests continue and communications remain restricted inside Iran, the situation is being closely watched in Washington, where officials say further steps will depend on Tehran’s actions in the days ahead.
THE THIRD FORCE
Reference: Fox News
