The president also told protesters in the country to keep demonstrating.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the White House has “canceled all meetings” with Iranian officials and that “help is on the way” amid days of unprecedented protests in the country against the regime.
“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,” he wrote on social media. “HELP IS ON ITS WAY.”
He ended his Truth Social post by writing “MIGA,” or “Make Iran Great Again.”
Over the weekend, Trump signaled that he was open to negotiations with the Iranian regime after he had received communication from Tehran in recent days and indicated that a meeting would happen. However, Tuesday’s statement suggests that he no longer believes a meeting would be beneficial.
The president did not provide further details, although White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt a day earlier said that the U.S. military may launch strikes in response to a widespread clampdown on protesters.
Also on Monday, Trump wrote that his administration would be imposing a 25 percent tariff on any country that does business with Iran. Some major economies that conduct trade with the country include China, Russia, Brazil, and the United Arab Emirates.
A U.S.-based rights group, the Human Rights Activists News Agency, or HRANA, said that nearly 2,000 people have died so far in the protests that started in late December. The Epoch Times has not been able to independently verify the death toll, and Iran has not released any official figures.
The internet and some Iranian state-run media websites have been down across Iran, making it difficult to assess the demonstrations or the death toll from abroad.
Iranian authorities have said that the demonstrations, which began over currency inflation and quickly shifted gears to target the regime, are being backed by foreign powers.
Iran’s top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said in a statement carried by state TV that tens of thousands of counterprotesters took part in pro-government demonstrations nationwide on Monday. Iran’s attorney general has warned that anyone taking part in protests will be considered an “enemy of God,” a death penalty charge.
“This was a warning to American politicians to stop their deceit and not rely on traitorous mercenaries,” Khamenei also said. “The Iranian nation is strong and powerful and aware of the enemy.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera in an interview aired Monday night that the country is ready for war after comments made by Trump and other White House officials.
“If Washington wants to test the military option it has tested before, we are ready for it,” said Araghchi, adding that he hopes that the White House would choose negotiations. He also blamed Israel and said that the U.S. government was working to serve that country’s interests.
“Washington’s proposed ideas and threats against our country are incompatible,” he told the outlet, adding that Iran is still seeking negotiations over its nuclear program.
Over the summer, the United States and Israel launched a series of airstrikes targeting Iran’s nuclear program in a 12-day aerial war that also included missile barrages being fired by Tehran at U.S. and Israeli assets in the region.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
