President Donald Trump on Tuesday escalated his rhetoric against Iran’s leadership, publicly urging Iranians to seize control of state institutions and announcing that he has suspended all contact with the country’s ruling authorities until the government halts its violent suppression of protests.
In a series of messages posted on his Truth Social platform, Trump directly addressed what he called “Iranian patriots,” encouraging them to continue demonstrating and to hold accountable those responsible for the bloodshed. He warned that officials involved in the crackdown would face severe consequences, framing the unrest as a decisive moment for the country’s future.
Donald Trump cancels meetings with Iran
“Keep protesting. Take over your institutions,” Trump wrote, adding that protesters should document the identities of those carrying out killings and abuses. “They will pay a big price,” he said, signaling a hardening U.S. posture toward Tehran.
The president also said he had ordered the cancellation of all meetings with Iranian officials, rejecting any diplomatic engagement while security forces continue to fire on demonstrators. According to Trump, Iran had previously suggested that it was in contact with U.S. representatives despite the ongoing unrest, a claim now rendered moot by Washington’s decision to freeze talks.
The protests, which have spread across multiple cities, have been met with lethal force by Iranian authorities. Human rights groups and foreign media have reported sharply rising casualties. At least 646 protesters have been confirmed killed since the demonstrations began, while Reuters has cited an unnamed Iranian official who placed the death toll at approximately 2,000, a figure that suggests the scale of violence may be significantly higher than publicly acknowledged.
The White House confirmed earlier this week that Trump is also considering military options in response to the crackdown, including the possibility of strikes against Iran. Officials said no final decision has been made, but the administration is weighing its response amid growing international concern over the deteriorating situation.
Trump’s statements mark one of the most direct calls by a sitting U.S. president for popular action against Iran’s ruling system, underscoring a confrontational approach that ties human rights abuses to broader questions of regional security and U.S. policy toward Tehran.
