Iran labels Trump ‘main killer’ amid escalating unrest

Iran’s national security chief Ali Larijani accused US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being the “main killers of the people of Iran” as protests across the country intensified, leaving more than 2,000 people reported dead, after Trump cancelled meetings with Iranian officials over the bloodshed.

Hours after Trump urged Iranians to “take over” government institutions, Larijani, a former parliament speaker who now serves as secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, posted on X.

Trump on Tuesday urged Iranians to keep protesting and remember the names of those ⁠abusing them, saying help is on the way, as Iran's clerical establishment pressed its crackdown against the biggest demonstrations in years.


Asked what he meant by "help is on its way", Trump told reporters they would have to figure that out. Trump has said military action is among the options he is weighing to punish Iran over the crackdown. "The killing looks like it's significant, but we don't know yet for certain," said Trump upon returning to the Washington area from Detroit, adding he would know more after receiving a report on Tuesday evening about the Iran protests. "We'll act accordingly," he said.

The U.S. State Department on Tuesday urged American citizens to leave Iran now including by land through Turkey or Armenia.