Washington DC [US], January 14: US President Donald Trump said he has suspended all talks with Iranian representatives until further notice and urged Iranians to continue protesting, promising that help is coming.
"Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!," the president posted on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday.
"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."
He ended the post with the message: "HELP IS ON ITS WAY. MIGA!!!," using an acronym for "Make Iran Great Again." Trump did not elaborate on what form the help could take.
On Monday, he said the United States would impose 25 percent tariffs on all countries that do business with Iran, a move that would affect major trading partners including China, India, Turkiye and the United Arab Emirates.
Last weekend, US media reported that Trump was weighing possible military strikes against Iran, among other options.
What began in Tehran on December 28 as protests by shopkeepers over a sharp fall in the value of the Iranian rial and mounting economic hardship has since spiralled into a nationwide demonstrations against the country's Islamic rulers.
Activists say the security forces have responded using brutal tactics, including firing tear gas and bullets, with hundreds of demonstrators killed.
The United Nations on Tuesday condemned the violence used by Iranian security forces against peaceful demonstrators and called on authorities to restore internet and telephone services.
"The killing of peaceful demonstrators must stop, and the labelling of protesters as 'terrorists' to justify violence against them is unacceptable," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said in a statement.
People have a right to have their demands heard, he added.
The UN Human Rights Office said it has been unable to independently verify reports of hundreds of deaths and thousands of arrests because it has no access to Iran, according to a spokesperson. The office is concerned about what will happen to those arrested. At least 12 demonstrators were executed following protests in 2022, the spokesman said.
Source: Qatar Tribune
