Trump : cautions Iran from suppressing demonstrators
Trump: US President Donald Trump said the US was keeping a close eye on events and would act if violence against civilians increased, and he cautioned Iran from using force to quell the demonstrations.
After meeting with oil and gas CEOs at the White House, Trump told reporters that Iran was experiencing severe internal turmoil and that the situation was a watershed for the nation’s leadership.
Trump said, “So Iran is in big trouble.” “It appears to me that people are occupying some cities that, only a few weeks ago, no one would have believed were truly possible.”
According to Trump, his government has warned Tehran not to murder protestors and threatened to take action if it did.
“I have firmly stated that we will become involved if they begin murdering people as they have in the past,” he added. “We’re going to hit them hard where they hurt.”
The president emphasized that ground troops would not be used in any US reaction.
Trump said, “And that doesn’t mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very, very hard where it hurts.”
He described the events that were taking place within Iran as unprecedented and said that the government was keeping a careful eye on them.
“We’re keeping a close eye on the situation,” Trump said. “Watching it is incredible.”
Trump criticized former President Barack Obama’s handling of comparable circumstances and compared the present strategy with earlier US reactions to turmoil in Iran.
Trump said, “There have been instances like this where President Obama completely backed down.” “But there’s something really amazing going on in Iran.”
The president said that years of repression by Iran’s regime were to blame for the uprising.
Trump said, “They’ve done a bad job.” “They are now receiving compensation for the terrible treatment they gave their people.”
Trump said that preventing violence against civilians was the first objective, but he refused to elaborate on what steps the US would take.
He made reference to a violent crackdown when he remarked, “So we don’t want that to happen.”
Although he dismissed calls for more extensive US military intervention beyond deterrence, Trump said that demonstrations have attracted attention from throughout the world, citing analogies made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in recent statements.
When questioned about increased operations, Trump said, “I don’t think it’s going to be necessary.”
He underlined that his administration’s overarching objective was stability free from protracted hostilities, all the while keeping pressure on regimes that oppress their people.
Trump reaffirmed that preventing mass fatalities was still the administration’s top priority.
In reference to the ongoing demonstrations inside Iran, he said, “We’re watching it very closely.”