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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 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.”
Trump has been weighing whether to intervene militarily in Iran, where nationwide demonstrations erupted in late December over the regime’s failure to stabilise the economy.
Some activist groups have estimated that more than 500 people have been killed, including dozens of members of the security forces, since then. Thousands of others are believed to have been detained, they said.
On Sunday, Trump said that the US military “is 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.
Oil prices breached $65 a barrel for the first time since November in response to concerns about a possible US intervention in Iran, with benchmark Brent crude rising 2.5 per cent in afternoon trading in London to $65.50.
This is a developing story. Additional reporting by Malcolm Moore
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