President threatens ‘very strong action’ if Tehran executes protesters as deaths pass 2,500.
Americans have been urged to flee Iran by the US department of state consular affairs after President Donald Trump threatened to take “very strong action” if the Iranian government starts executing protesters.
Trump told CBS News in an interview: “I haven’t heard about the hanging. If they hang them, you’re going to see some things… We will take very strong action if they do such a thing.”
His comments followed reports that the Iranian regime will execute the first protester on Wednesday over his alleged involvement in demonstrations sweeping the nation, rights groups have claimed.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff reportedly met with Tehran’s exiled crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, over the weekend in which they discussed the ongoing protests, a senior US official revealed to Axios.
Meanwhile, US-based HRANA rights group said it verified the deaths of 2,571 people during Iran’s protests, including 2,403 protesters, 147 government-affiliated individuals, twelve people aged under 18 and nine non-protester civilians.
Trump has urged protesters in Iran to “take over” institutions as “help is on its way” and warned that Tehran will pay a “big price” for a violent crackdown.
