Trump stokes flames by vowing to back up Iranian protests: ‘Help is on its way’

As protests continue to erupt across Iran amid its deepening economic crisis, President Donald Trump made his first explicit admission that the United States would be intervening on behalf of the protesters, telling them in a social media post Tuesday that “help is on its way.”

“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.

“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 (Make Iran Great Again)!!!”

Trump has repeatedly warned the Iranian government not to harm protesters, with his supporters, such as Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), encouraging the president to intervene, including by assassinating Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iran has warned it would retaliate should the United States intervene.

On Saturday, Trump said the United States stood “ready to help” the Iranian protestors, making his remarks on Tuesday an escalation of his past threats.

As the protests in Iran continue to intensify, conservative figures have increasingly cheered the idea of regime change in the Middle East nation, including former Secretary of State and CIA Director Mike Pompeo, who recently declared the Iranian government to be “in trouble.” He also, perhaps inadvertently, suggested that the protests were, at least in part, stoked by Israeli intelligence agents.

“The Iranian regime is in trouble. Bringing in mercenaries is its last best hope,” Pompeo wrote in a social media post on X Jan. 2.

“Riots in dozens of cities and the Basij under siege – Mashed, Tehran, Zahedan. Next stop: Baluchistan. 47 years of this regime; POTUS 47. Coincidence? Happy New Year to every Iranian in the streets. Also to every Mossad agent walking beside them…”