US President Donald Trump has canceled all meetings with Iranian officials and declared that “help is on its way” to protestors, implying potential intervention.
‘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. MIGA!!!’,’ he wrote this morning.
Trump is holding a meeting today with Secretary of State Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine, and other top leaders to weigh options for Iran.
Trump has cautioned that military action could come before any diplomatic sit–down if conditions on the ground deteriorate further.
‘A meeting is being set up,’ Trump had told reporters, warning, ‘We may have to act before a meeting.’
Since the nationwide demonstrations began on December 28 in Iran, the US–based human rights organization HRANA reports it has confirmed about 600 fatalities, but according to other reports, that number is more likely in the thousands.
President Trump told a group of reporters on Air Force One that Iranian diplomats had reached out to the administration to negotiate.
‘The communication channel between our Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and the US special envoy (Steve Witkoff) is open, and messages are exchanged whenever necessary,’ Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday.
Mohammad Ghalibaf, Iran’s speaker of Parliament, put out a statement Sunday saying that any US military action will result in a retaliatory response from Iran.
‘If the United States takes military action, both the occupied territories and US military and shipping lanes will be our legitimate targets,’ Ghalibaf said. ‘Both US and Israeli military bases could be targets,’ he added.
Speaking aboard Air Force One on Sunday night, Trump threatened to intervene, saying: ‘The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options.’
Asked about Iran’s threats of retaliation, he said: ‘If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.’