President Donald Trump sparked alarm on Tuesday after issuing a stark warning in a social media post urging protesters in Iran to “take over” their institutions and promising consequences for those he labeled abusers.
“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! 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,“ he wrote on Truth Social, signing off the post: “MIGA!!!” or Make Iran Great Again.
It comes amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington, as Trump continues to issue threats while Iran faces internal unrest.
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have escalated sharply amid weeks of nationwide protests over economic hardship and political repression, marking one of the most serious challenges to Tehran’s clerical leadership in years.
The unrest has left hundreds dead, with that number likely to rise, and thousands detained, prompting a heavy-handed response from Iranian security forces.
In turn, Trump has threatened “very strong” military action if the situation crosses what he called a red line, while suggesting that Iranian leaders may be open to negotiations despite the ongoing crackdown.
“We may have to act before a meeting… A meeting is being set up,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday.
Tehran has responded with its own stark warnings, accusing Washington and Israel of fomenting the unrest and vowing retaliation against any U.S. attack.
Meanwhile, Iranian officials have specifically threatened American military targets and other interests in the region. “We are not looking for war, but we are prepared for war,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday, The New York Times reported.
He added: “We are also ready for negotiations, but negotiations that are fair, with equal rights and mutual respect.”
But Trump—fresh off a dramatic military campaign that saw U.S. forces strike inside Venezuela and seize President Nicolás Maduro in a high‑profile operation—is now reportedly weighing possible military action against Iran in response to Tehran’s brutal suppression of nationwide protests, U.S. officials say.
On Monday, Trump revealed a new 25 percent tariff targeting any country that conducts business with Iran. Some officials have expressed concern that a military strike could bolster Tehran’s narrative, allowing the regime to claim that the U.S. and Israel are behind the ongoing protests.
Trump has insisted that he believes Iran is heeding U.S. warnings, asserting on Sunday aboard Air Force One that “they’ve been going through it for years with me.”
Over two weeks of clashes, at least 646 protesters—including nine children—have been killed, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).
