Mass protests
Trump promises help to demonstrators in Iran
Updated on 01/11/2026 – 04:59 amReading time: 4 minutes
People in Iran have been taking to the streets for around two weeks. US President Trump warned the leadership in Tehran of violence against the protesters. He is reportedly considering military strikes.
US President Donald Trump has assured the participants of the mass protests against the authoritarian government in Iran of support. “Iran is seeking FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA is ready to help!!!,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform. It is unclear what the help will look like. The New York Times reported, citing US officials, that Trump had been informed in recent days about new options for military strikes in Iran. He is seriously considering carrying out his threat to attack the country for suppressing the protests.
Trump had previously warned Tehran against killing demonstrators. “I told them that if they start killing people, which they tend to do during their riots, which are common, we will punish them severely,” he said in an episode of “The Hugh Hewitt Show” podcast released Thursday. According to the Wall Street Journal, US officials have held initial discussions about how to carry out an attack on Iran if necessary to carry out Trump’s threats.
Options for possible targets were also discussed, such as a large-scale air strike on several military facilities in Iran, the newspaper reported, citing US officials. However, there is still no consensus on how to proceed. Military equipment and personnel have not yet been moved in preparation for an attack. US officials emphasized that these talks were part of normal planning. There were no signs of an impending attack, it said. The New York Times also reported that Trump had not yet made a decision.
As the US-based human rights network HRANA reported, the number of people killed in the mass protests that have been going on for almost two weeks rose to 116. More than 2,600 other people were arrested. Despite an almost complete internet shutdown, there were demonstrations in 185 cities across the country.
