On Tuesday, President Donald Trump declared that “help is on its way” to Iran as anti-government protests continue and the regime answers dissent with force.
The unrest began in late December, born of an economy that has curdled under the long shadow of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Tehran’s reflex has been the familiar one: crack down at home, accuse foreigners abroad, and call the uprising an American plot.
Trump went to TRUTH Social with a message that reads like a flare fired into the night: “HELP IS ON ITS WAY.”
“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price,” Trump wrote.
He also said he has canceled all meetings with Iranian officials until the killing of protesters stops — an unmistakable attempt to shut the diplomatic door until the streets stop running red.
The numbers are contested and fast-moving, but the broad picture is grim: reporting has cited death toll claims as high as 10,000 as the crackdown intensifies.
Behind the scenes, Trump has reportedly been briefed on covert and military options, another signal that Washington is gaming out what “help” might mean beyond rhetoric.
Khamenei, for his part, is pointing the finger outward, accusing protesters of acting on Trump’s behalf and warning the Islamic Republic will not yield to what he casts as U.S.-backed chaos.
“The great Iranian nation has asserted its resolve and identity in the face of the enemies. This was a warning to US politicians that they should halt their deceitful actions and stop relying on their traitorous hirelings,” Khamenei wrote on X Monday.
On Monday evening, President Trump announced 25% import tariffs on products from any country that does business with Iran, a major oil exporter. Trump also said more military action is among the options he is weighing to punish Iran over the crackdown.
Tehran has not yet responded publicly to the tariff announcement, but China criticized it swiftly.
Iran, already under heavy U.S. sanctions, exports much of its oil to China, with Turkey, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, and India among its other top trading partners.
Trump tells Iranians ‘keep protesting,’ says ‘help is on its way’ and regime will ‘pay a big price’ https://t.co/q5Zbs1jS5U pic.twitter.com/6cdgYr4UEK
— New York Post (@nypost) January 13, 2026
