United States President Donald Trump has announced the cancellation of planned talks with Iranian officials that were scheduled for Tuesday, as the reported death toll from protests in Iran continues to rise.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump urged demonstrators to press on, telling them to “Keep protesting” and to “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.”
The US President did not explain what form the promised assistance would take. His remarks follow earlier comments in which he claimed Tehran was seeking negotiations with Washington after he issued threats of military action.
Iranian authorities have since said the unrest has been brought under control, insisting the protests “turned violent and bloody to give an excuse” for the US President to intervene.
According to figures released on Tuesday by the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, at least 1,850 protesters have been killed, while no fewer than 16,784 people have been arrested during more than two weeks of nationwide anti-government demonstrations, CNN reported.
Reuters also cited an Iranian security official as saying the number of deaths may be closer to 2,000.
