‘Help is on its way’: Trump cancels talks with Iran, urges citizens to keep protesting amid deadly crackdown

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he had cancelled all talks with Iranian officials amid a violent crackdown on anti-government protests, urging Iranian citizens to continue demonstrating and telling them that “help is on its way.”

In a morning post on Truth Social, Trump directly addressed protesters and warned those responsible for the violence that they would face consequences. “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. HELP IS ON ITS WAY,” he wrote. Trump did not explain what form the promised help would take.

The statement marked a clear shift in tone from earlier remarks, when Trump suggested Iran was seeking negotiations with Washington after he warned of possible military action. Human rights monitors say more than 2,000 people have been killed in Iran during the recent unrest.

Trump has repeatedly warned Tehran against using lethal force on protesters and has said the United States is closely monitoring the situation. On Sunday, he told reporters that Iran was “starting to cross” a line, leaving him and his national security team weighing “very strong options,” even as he acknowledged that Iranian officials had reached out to the US.

Despite the tough rhetoric, the White House said on Monday that diplomacy has not been ruled out.

US Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that public statements from Iran differ from private messages being received by the administration. “What you’re hearing publicly from the Iranian regime is quite different from the messages the administration is receiving privately, and I think the president has an interest in exploring those messages,” she said. She added that Trump remains willing to use military options if he considers them necessary.

Also on Monday, Trump announced that the US would impose 25 per cent tariffs on countries that continue to do business with Iran, a move aimed at increasing economic pressure on Tehran. The White House has not provided details on how the tariffs would be implemented. Countries that trade with Iran include China, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Brazil and Russia.

Senior officials, including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and key members of the White House National Security Council, have been meeting since Friday to develop options for Trump. These range from pursuing a diplomatic solution to launching military strikes.

The unrest in Iran has been driven largely by a deepening economic crisis and has grown into one of the most serious challenges to the country’s theocratic leadership in years. Protests that began in late December have spread nationwide, triggering mass arrests, internet shutdowns and an increasingly deadly crackdown by security forces.