Trump spurs on Iran protesters

The US president tells Iranians that 'help is on its way', without clarifying.

- By Elwely Elwelly and Bo Erickson

Mourners hold anti-US and anti-Israel placards during a funeral ceremony on 14 January in Tehran for security personnel killed during the wave of civil unrest in Iran, which remains under a nationwide internet blackout that began on 8 January.

(Photo: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA)

US President Donald Trump urged Iranians on Tuesday, 13 January, to keep protesting and remember the names of those abusing them, saying help is on its way, as Iran's clerical establishment continued its crackdown against the biggest demonstrations in years. Iran in turn accused Trump of encouraging political destabilisation and inciting violence.

"Iranian patriots, keep protesting - take over your institutions! Help is on its way," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform, without saying what that help might be. He said he had cancelled all meetings with Iranian officials until the "senseless killing" of protesters stopped and in a later speech, he told Iranians to "save the name of the killers and the abusers ... because they'll pay a very big price".

An Iranian official said about 2,000 people had been killed, the first time authorities have given an overall death toll from more than two weeks of nationwide unrest.

US-based rights group Human Rights Activists in Iran said that of the 2,003 people whose deaths it had confirmed, 1,850 were protesters. It said 16,784 people had been detained, a sharp increase from the figure it had given on Monday, 12 January.