US President Donald Trump urged Iranians to continue protesting on Monday and said help was "on the way", without giving details, as Iran's clerical establishment stepped up repression of the biggest demonstrations in years.
"Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!... HELP IS ON THE WAY," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social, adding that he had canceled all meetings with Iranian officials until what he called the "senseless killing" of protesters stops.
Tonight, responding to questions on social media about what he specifically meant when he said "roadside assistance," Trump replied, "You'll have to figure that out for yourself. I'm sorry."
The unrest, sparked by difficult economic conditions, represents the biggest internal challenge for the Iranian authorities in at least the last three years, and has erupted at a time of heightened international pressure following last year's Israeli and American strikes.
Following the US president's announcement, Iranian security chief Ali Larijani wrote on the social network X that Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are the "main killers" of the Iranian people.
An Iranian official said about 2.000 people had been killed in the protests, the first time authorities have given a total death toll during more than two weeks of nationwide unrest, although the official did not provide a breakdown of casualties.
The US-based human rights group HRANA said that of the 2.003 deaths it confirmed, 1.850 were protesters. It said 16.784 people had been detained, a sharp increase from the number it reported on Monday.
On Monday night, Trump announced a 25 percent import tariff on products from any country that does business with Iran, a major oil exporter. Trump also said additional military action was among the options he was considering to punish Iran for its repression.
Iranian authorities have accused the US and Israel of inciting unrest.
Russia on Tuesday condemned what it described as "subversive external interference" in Iran's domestic politics, saying any repeat of last year's US strikes would have "catastrophic consequences" for the Middle East and international security.
Britain, France, Germany and Italy summoned Iranian ambassadors for talks to protest the crackdown.
"The brutal actions of the Iranian regime against its own people are shocking," the German Foreign Ministry posted on the social network X.
Pointing to international uncertainty about what comes next in Iran, which has been one of the dominant powers in the Middle East for decades, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he believed the regime would fall.
"I suppose we are now witnessing the last days and weeks of this regime," he said, adding that if the government has to maintain itself through violence, "it is essentially at the end."
He did not further clarify whether this assessment was based on intelligence or other assessments.
Araqchi rejected Merz's criticism, accusing Berlin of double standards and saying it had "erased every shred of credibility."
Protests began on December 28th over the currency's devaluation and have escalated into wider demonstrations and calls for the overthrow of the clerical establishment.
The Iranian authorities are applying a dual approach: on the one hand, they are carrying out repression, and on the other, they claim that protests due to economic problems are legitimate.
Hengav, an Iranian Kurdish human rights organization, said a 26-year-old man, Erfan Soltani, arrested in connection with protests in the city of Karaj, will be executed today. Authorities have told his family that the death sentence is final, Hengav said, citing a source close to the family.
Reuters could not independently confirm the information. The head of Iran's judiciary said specialized courts had been appointed to deal with the protests.
Communications restrictions, including internet shutdowns, have hampered the flow of information. The UN human rights office said telephone services had been restored but internet connections to Iran remained unstable.
Iran's Ministry of Intelligence said it had seized electronic devices intended for use during the protests, according to a statement carried by state media.
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