President Trump called on Iranians on Tuesday to keep protesting against their government and warned that those responsible for killing demonstrators would “pay a big price.”
His remark, on Truth Social, came just hours after Iranians were able to make international calls for the first time in days despite an ongoing internet blackout that has slowed the flow of information out of the country and obscured the severity of a crackdown on antigovernment protests. Mr. Trump also declared that he had canceled meetings with Iranian officials.
“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING — TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!,” Mr. Trump wrote. “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. HELP IS ON ITS WAY. MIGA!!!”
Mr. Trump has threatened to intervene militarily in Iran on behalf of the protesters if the authorities use lethal force against them.
On Tuesday morning, several Iranians living abroad said they received calls from family members inside Iran using landlines. They told The New York Times that their relatives described chaotic and bloody protests, with demonstrators coming under fire from security forces and, in some cases, from snipers on rooftops. They also said the police had checked security footage in some stores and ordered owners to delete anything that might have documented the government crackdown.
Iran is witnessing the most expansive protests in years against the country’s authoritarian clerical rulers after economic grievances snowballed into a broader challenge to the regime over the past two weeks.
An internet block imposed last week sharply curtailed communications out of the country as the protests spread and security forces moved to suppress them. Digital experts said it was not immediately clear what had enabled the calls on Tuesday, which appeared to be mostly by landline.
Hundreds of people, and perhaps thousands, have been killed in the unrest, according to rights groups and at least one senior Iranian health ministry official.
Sanam Mahoozi, Kiana Hayeri, Koba Ryckewaert and Jeanna Smialek contributed reporting.
Abdi Latif Dahir is a Middle East correspondent for The Times, covering Lebanon and Syria. He is based in Beirut.
The post Trump Urges Iranians to Keep Up Antigovernment Protests appeared first on New York Times.
