Trump tells Iranian protestors ‘help is on the way’ as reported death toll reaches thousands

President Donald Trump said Jan. 13 that the White House has “canceled all meetings” with Iranian officials and that “help is on the way” as unprecedented anti-regime protests continue across the Middle Eastern country.

“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - 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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “HELP IS ON ITS WAY.”

He ended the post by writing “MIGA,” short for “Make Iran Great Again.”

Pressed later in the day by a reporter during a visit to Michigan to clarify what he meant by “help,” Trump declined to elaborate, saying, “You're gonna have to figure that one out, I'm sorry.”

Trump also said he thinks “it's a good idea” for Americans to evacuate Iran.

As CatholicVote reported Jan. 12, Trump was scheduled to be briefed that day on U.S. options in the region. He has repeatedly warned in recent weeks that the U.S. could strike Iran if its authorities kill protestors. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Jan. 12 that Trump views diplomacy as his “first option” but is prepared to use military force “if and when he deems that necessary.”

Also on Jan. 12, Trump announced on Truth Social that his administration would impose a 25% tariff on any country that does business with Iran. 

The unrest, which began Dec. 28 over economic collapse, has spread to 606 locations in more than 180 cities across Iran, according to ABC News. At least 1,850 protestors have been killed, and 10,721 people have been arrested, based on figures from the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRNA) cited by ABC. The group’s figures are compiled from reports by activists inside and outside Iran, and ABC noted it cannot independently verify the numbers. 

Iranian state-aligned media have reported that more than 100 members of the security forces have been killed, CatholicVote reported Jan. 12.

CBS News reported that the death toll among protesters may be significantly higher than elsewhere reported, citing two sources — including one inside Iran — who said at least 12,000 and possibly as many as 20,000 people may have been killed. 

A near-total internet blackout has gripped the country since Jan. 8, according to the online monitoring group NetBlocks. The Wall Street Journal reported that Iranians have increasingly relied on Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite service to share footage of demonstrations and the government’s crackdown in response. Iranian authorities have since begun searching for and confiscating Starlink dishes in western Tehran, the paper reported. 

According to the Journal, Trump told reporters this week that one option under discussion is sending additional Starlink terminals into Iran.

Members of Trump’s national security team — including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe — met the morning of Jan. 13 to discuss Iran, ABC reported, citing a statement from Leavitt. Trump did not attend the meeting and had not been scheduled to.

An anonymous source told ABC that Vice President JD Vance led a separate Iran strategy session later Jan. 13 with the National Security Council principals committee. The outlet reported that options under consideration include new sanctions targeting senior regime figures as well as Iran’s energy or banking sectors.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Jan. 12 that the nation is “fully prepared for war,” warning Tehran will target Israeli and U.S. military assets in the region if Trump follows through on threats to use force, CatholicVote reported. Araghchi added that Iran is open to negotiations, “but these negotiations should be fair, with equal rights and based on mutual respect.”