Help is on its way, Trump tells Iranians to keep protesting
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said Iranians should continue nationwide protests and take over the country’s institutions.
“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
“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.”
Trump did not specify what form the promised “help” would take, in a message that backed regime change in the Islamic Republic — marking a change in the US stance from one day ago.
Trump on Monday also announced a 25 per cent tariff on any country doing business with Iran.
“Effective immediately, any Country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a Tariff of 25% on any and all business being done with the United States of America,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Tariffs are paid by the US importers of goods from those countries. Iran, a member of the OPEC oil-producing group, has been heavily sanctioned by Washington for years. It exports much of its oil to China, with Turkey, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and India among its other top trading partners.
“This Order is final and conclusive,” Trump said without providing any further detail.
Trump has said the US may meet Iranian officials and that he was in contact with Iran’s opposition, while piling pressure on its leaders, including threatening military action.
During the course of his second term in office, Trump has often threatened and imposed tariffs on other countries over their ties with US adversaries and over trade policies that he has described as unfair to Washington.
Trump’s trade policy is under legal pressure as the US Supreme Court is considering striking down a broad swathe of Trump’s existing tariffs. Iran exported products to 147 trading partners in 2022, according to the World Bank’s most recent data. Monitoring Desk
