US president Donald Trump has said that “help is on its way” for protesters in Iran as he urged them to take over the country’s institutions, in his strongest signal yet that the US could intervene in the country.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday, the US president added that he had cancelled “all meetings” with Iranian officials until killings of the protesters had stopped.
“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!” Trump wrote. “Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price … HELP IS ON ITS WAY.”
Mr Trump has been weighing a possible military intervention in Iran, where nationwide demonstrations erupted in late December over the regime’s failure to stabilise the economy.
Officials in western capitals believe the US is stepping up preparations for an attack. Asked whether US allies should evacuate Iran, Mr Trump said: “They should get out … It’s a good idea.”
Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran. Photograph: AP
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday that Mr Trump’s top national security advisers, including secretary of state Marco Rubio and defence secretary Pete Hegseth, had met earlier in the day to discuss options for Iran.
The meeting did not include Mr Trump, whom, Ms Leavitt said, was never planning to attend.
Activist groups outside Iran have estimated that the number of people killed in the protests could range from the hundreds to thousands, including members of the security forces, and many more have been detained as the regime has intensified its crackdown.
While the protests rocked Iran last week, in recent days in Tehran there have been signs of some return to normality, with people venturing from their homes to buy groceries and go to work.
Reporting on the crisis has been impeded by an internet blackout that was imposed by the regime when the protests escalated last week, cutting the country off from the outside world.
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On Sunday, Mr Trump said the US military was “looking at [taking action in Iran], and we’re looking at some very strong options”, and that Tehran had started crossing his red line with its intensifying crackdown on protesters.
The White House subsequently said that air strikes were among the “many, many options” on the table for Mr Trump.
“The president has shown he’s unafraid to use military options if and when he deems necessary,” said Ms Leavitt.
Current and former defence officials have indicated that the US has the assets in place to launch an attack on Iran, even if an aircraft carrier is not in position.
Possible US targets include Iran’s military infrastructure, as well as that of the revolutionary guards. Washington could also hit command and control centres and warehouses used by the government and its militias, or target specific Iranian leaders.
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Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araqchi said his country was ready for a military escalation.
“If Washington wants to test the military option it has tested before, we are ready for it,” Mr Araqchi said in an interview with Al Jazeera Arabic on Monday night, adding that he hoped the US would choose a “wise approach” of dialogue.
Mr Araqchi also said that communications with US special envoy Steve Witkoff had “continued before and after the protests and are still ongoing”, though Mr Trump’s Tuesday post threw the status of the dialogue between the two countries into question.
Protesters gathered on a highway in northeastern Iran chanting slogans as fires burned around them. Videos posted to social media January 10th. Video: Reuters
Qatar’s foreign ministry warned on Tuesday that an escalation “would have catastrophic results in the region”.
It added that Doha was “talking to all parties, obviously with our neighbours and our partners in the region to find a diplomatic solution”.
Mr Trump has said his administration has been looking into how to help Iranians regain access to the internet amid a sweeping blackout, including discussions with Elon Musk about his Starlink network.
He also announced a 25 per cent tariff on countries “doing business with Iran” this week. – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2026