US President Donald Trump has warned Iran’s clerical leadership that Washington is prepared to support Iranians demanding freedom, as anti-government protests continue to spread across the country.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, Trump wrote: “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help.” The statement followed an earlier warning in which he said the US military was “locked and loaded” should Iranian authorities kill protesters.
The demonstrations, which began over the collapse of Iran’s currency, have since evolved into wider calls for the overthrow of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Human rights groups say at least 65 people have been killed during the unrest so far.
Iranian authorities have responded with a crackdown, threatening protesters with the death penalty and announcing the arrest of 100 people described as “armed rioters.” The military has urged citizens to remain alert to what it called “enemy plots,” accusing the United States and Israel of backing the unrest. On Saturday, the intelligence wing of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said it had detained a foreign national suspected of spying for Israel.
State television has played down the scale of the protests, repeatedly broadcasting images of pro-government rallies while reporting that calm had returned to most cities overnight.
Demonstrations in support of Iranian protesters have also taken place abroad. In London, police arrested two people after a protest outside Iran’s embassy, where footage showed a demonstrator removing the Iranian flag and replacing it with the pre-revolutionary lion and sun emblem.
International leaders have voiced concern over the situation. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Europe stood firmly with Iranian protesters and called for the release of detainees and the restoration of internet access.
Meanwhile, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that counter-protests organised by pro-government groups are expected to take place on Monday, aimed at condemning what authorities describe as “rioters and armed terrorists.”
