Trump Urges Iranians to Keep Protesting as Crackdown Intensifies, First Execution Looms

Trump Urges Iranians to Keep Protesting as Crackdown Intensifies, First Execution Looms

President Donald Trump has urged Iranians to continue protesting against the clerical regime, saying “help is on its way,” as the country faces a deadly crackdown that activists say has claimed at least 2,500 lives. The US leader also warned Tehran against carrying out executions of arrested demonstrators, saying Washington would take “very strong action” if such hangings proceed.

Iranian authorities are reportedly preparing to execute their first protester today. Erfan Soltani, 26, who was arrested last week in Karaj, near the capital Tehran, is scheduled to be hanged without a proper trial, human rights groups said.

Internet Blackout and Starlink Access

Iran’s ongoing communications blackout, in place since the protests began, has left many citizens cut off from the outside world. Text messaging and internet access remain largely unavailable. However, Elon Musk’s SpaceX has reportedly offered free Starlink satellite service to Iranians. Ahmad Ahmadian, executive director of the US-based Holistic Resilience group, said anyone with a Starlink receiver in Iran can now access service without paying a subscription.

US Envoy Meets Exiled Crown Prince

Over the weekend, White House envoy Steve Witkoff reportedly held a secret meeting with Iran’s exiled former crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, Axios reported. Pahlavi, who spent nearly five decades outside Iran, has emerged as a symbolic figure for the ongoing demonstrations and has urged Trump to act “sooner rather than later” against the country’s clerical leadership.

Trump’s Warnings

Trump, speaking to CBS News, said the United States would respond if Iran begins hanging protesters charged with “moharebeh,” or waging war against God — a capital offense under Iranian law.

Iran Unrest: Death Toll Exceeds 2,500, Activists Say True Figures Could Be Higher

“We will take very strong action if they do such a thing,” he said. “When they start killing thousands of people — and now you’re telling me about hanging — we’ll see how that works out for them.”

Earlier Tuesday, Trump posted on his Truth Social account, calling on Iranians to “KEEP PROTESTING” and saying he had “cancelled all meetings with Iranian officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS.” He added, “HELP IS ON ITS WAY.”

Bloody Crackdown

Newly circulated videos from social media show rows of bodies at the Kahrizak mortuary south of Tehran, with relatives searching for missing loved ones. According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, the death toll has risen to at least 2,571, while Iranian authorities blamed “terrorists” for the civilian and security casualties.

Soltani’s case has drawn particular attention. Iran Human Rights, a Norway-based NGO, said he has already been sentenced to death and could be executed as early as Wednesday.

State media reported that dozens of security personnel were also killed during the unrest, with funerals turning into large pro-government rallies. Authorities have declared three days of national mourning and announced a mass ceremony in Tehran for those killed in the unrest.

Tehran’s Response

The Iranian government organized mass rallies Monday to project control over the streets. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described the gatherings as proof that the protest movement had been defeated and called them a “warning” to the United States.

Iran’s national security chief accused Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being “the main killers of the people of Iran.”

“We declare the names of the main killers of the people of Iran,” said Ali Larijani. “1- Trump. 2- Netanyahu.”

Iran Protest Death Toll Hits 538 Amid Brutal Government Crackdown

International phone links were partially restored Tuesday, allowing outgoing calls, though the quality remained poor.

Khamenei, 86, who has been in power since 1989, has faced mounting challenges, including the 12-day conflict with Israel in June that resulted in the deaths of top security officials.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, visiting India, said, “When a regime can only hold on to power through violence, then it is effectively finished. I believe we are now witnessing the last days and weeks of this regime.”

Analysts Caution Against Hasty Predictions

Experts warn it is too early to predict the fall of Iran’s theocratic system. Nicole Grajewski, professor at the Sciences Po Centre for International Studies in Paris, told AFP, “These protests arguably represent the most serious challenge to the Islamic Republic in years, both in scale and in their increasingly explicit political demands.”

She added that the leadership’s resilience, backed by the Revolutionary Guard Corps and other security forces, makes it unclear whether the demonstrations will unseat the ruling elite. “The sheer depth and resilience of Iran’s repressive apparatus should not be underestimated,” Grajewski said.

The situation remains tense, with the international community watching closely as Iran faces mounting domestic unrest and global scrutiny.