After weeks of protests & brutal crackdown by Iranian regime, Trump tells protesters: 'Help is on its way’

U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to renew his pledge to help the Iranians protesting against the regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran in several statements on Tuesday.

In a speech in Detroit, President Trump called on Iranians to continue protesting.

"Iranian Patriots, keep protesting, take over your institutions, if possible, and save the name of the killers and the abusers that are abusing you,” Trump stated at the rally.

"TO ALL IRANIAN PATRIOTS — keep protesting, take over your institutions if possible, and save the names of the killers and the abusers... because they'll pay a very big price."

"All I say to them is, 'Help is on its way.'"

- President Donald J. Trumppic.twitter.com/vDQpozW9nl
— Vivid.🇮🇱 (@VividProwess) January 13, 2026

While also acknowledging that accurate figures of the number of deaths are hard to verify, Trump told the protesters, “Help is on its way,” without specifying what that help might entail.

Trump posted the same message to his Truth Social account earlier on Tuesday, assuring Iranian protesters that “HELP IS ON ITS WAY!”

While Trump declared on Tuesday that any country doing business with the Islamic Republic would pay a 25% tariff on business done in the U.S., he has so far not kept his promise to take action against the Iranian regime if it started shooting protesters, despite the rising numbers of protesters killed by the regime.

Over the weekend, Trump said the U.S. “stands ready to help” the people of Iran, which appeared to be a reiteration of his comment from the beginning of the month, when he said that “If Iran shots (sic) and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go.”

Since Trump made his initial promise to the protesters, the Iranian regime has intensified its brutal crackdown on the protesters, with security forces beginning to shoot protesters in the streets according to photos, videos, and the testimony of Iranians participating in the protests.

The worst of the crackdowns started after the regime cut off almost all internet access in the country last Thursday.

A young Iranian man who just crossed the border from Iran into Turkey records a message for the world

He says that people outside of Iran have no idea just how many protesters have been murdered by the Islamic regime

He says that they’re shooting at people’s chests all the time pic.twitter.com/ipcHo5jOFr
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) January 14, 2026

In previous protest waves, the regime has behaved in a similar way, waiting to engage in its harshest crackdowns until access to the outside world has been severed.

However, since making that initial promise, Trump has appeared to soften his stance, telling CBS News on Tuesday night, “When they start killing thousands of people…we’ll see how that works out for them.”

.@POTUS: "We don't want to see what's happening in Iran happen. You know, if they want to have protests that's one thing. When they start killing thousands of people, and now you're telling me about hanging, well we'll see how that works out for them." pic.twitter.com/q86alesLVb
— Department of State (@StateDept) January 14, 2026

There have been conflicting reports regarding the number of deaths among the Iranian populace due to the crackdowns, with the regime only acknowledging around 2,000 deaths. However, a report in CBS News on Tuesday put the number of dead at 12,000 or higher, based on estimates created from the testimonies of Iranians living in various cities across the country.

This number was consistent with the estimates of the opposition-linked Iran International news outlet.

Iranian expatriate Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, who runs the Norway-based activist organization Iran Human Rights, told CBS News, "The whole international community's red lines have been crossed.”

Amiry-Moghaddam called on the international community to act, saying, “not only [the] United States, not only President Trump, but the European Union, basically all countries have a responsibility to stop these atrocities.”

President Trump’s national security team was scheduled to meet at the White House to discuss U.S. options for dealing with the situation in Iran, with reports indicating that Vice President JD Vance is favoring a diplomatic solution, possibly based on negotiations that had previously started last year to try to work out a new nuclear agreement. Those negotiations were cancelled after the start of the 12-day Israel-Iran War in June.

Also on Tuesday, the U.S. State Department issued a warning through its Virtual Embassy in Iran, calling on all U.S. citizens to leave Iran.

“Leave Iran now,” the statement said. “Have a plan for departing Iran that does not rely on U.S. government help.”

BREAKING 🔴

Qatar is lobbying President Trump against striking Iran, citing risks to “oil markets, the U.S. economy, and potential domestic backlash.” pic.twitter.com/QEjAJQGAA0
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) January 13, 2026

Many interpreted that as a sign that U.S. military action could happen in the near future. On Wednesday morning, Reuters cited three diplomats saying that the U.S. military advised some of its personnel based in the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar to leave by the evening.

But others have pointed to the pressure coming from Qatar and Turkey, urging the U.S. to avoid any military action, claiming such a move could have disastrous consequences for the U.S. economy and American interests in the Middle East.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Oman have all been warning the White House against military action in Iran. Recently, even Israeli officials have reportedly urged the U.S. not to engage in military action against Iran, which would not "finish the job."