‘He hoped Trump’s help would arrive’: why protesters in Iran feel betrayed | Iran
Siavash Shirzad believed the US president when Donald Trump said he would “save” protesters if Iranian authorities opened fire.
The 38-year-old father has seen protests escalate before, only to be brutally suppressed by authorities.
But this was the first time in his life that the US president had promised to help the demonstrators. Relieved, Shirzad ignored his family’s warnings and took to the streets, joining the growing crowd.
Authorities started shooting, but no help came. On January 8, when the internet was shut down and Iran was plunged into darkness, Shirzad was shot during a protest in Tehran and died of his wounds hours later, leaving behind a 12-year-old son.
“Siavash was hoping until the end that Trump’s help would come,” his cousin said, speaking anonymously for fear of repercussions. “We told him, ‘Don’t go, it’s dangerous.’ But he gave a definitive answer: ‘Trump said he supports us, I’m going.’”
Trump on Tuesday called on Iranians to continue protesting and “take over your institutions,” telling them “help is on the way” as reports grow that an attack on Iran is imminent. But just a day later, Trump made an abrupt about-face, telling reporters he had received assurances that Iranian officials would at least temporarily abandon military intervention in Iran and not execute anyone.
Protesters in Iran despaired. Despite Trump’s assurances, the killing of demonstrators continued.
The streets of Tehran were empty except for pickup trucks with armed security forces patrolling where tens of thousands of people had marched a few days earlier. Protests continued in provinces outside the capital, but due to communications blackout it was difficult to get an accurate picture of the extent of the protests.
A person living in Tehran said in a message sent to the Guardian through an activist, “Mass arrests are taking place. As soon as Trump’s attention is diverted, executions will begin.”
Iran redoubled its investigation into protesters on Thursday, with state television airing footage of coerced confessions and Iran’s chief judge interrogating detained protesters. Rights groups have warned that protesters will likely not receive a fair trial and have serious concerns about the conditions in which detainees are being held.
“Past patterns in Iran show that periods of widespread unrest are accompanied by increased abuses in detention centers, where these groups are particularly vulnerable to extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, torture and other forms of ill-treatment,” more than 30 rights groups wrote in a joint paper. letter on Thursday.
However, authorities refrained from executing the protesters; The most important was the annulment of the death penalty of 26-year-old protester Erfan Soltani and the announcement that the execution would not take place. Trump appeared pleased, sharing the news that Sultani’s execution would not take place.
Iranians in the diaspora felt betrayed. For two weeks they watched the brutal crackdown on the streets of Iran. Messages from the family were infrequent, and Trump’s “help is on the way” statement seemed to be their only lifeline.
“As someone living in the diaspora, this feels like a slap in the face,” said Elham, an Iranian living in Sydney. “The Iranians had been disappointed before. There was a feeling that this time it would be different.”
To many Iranians abroad, Trump’s return felt like a victory for the Iranian regime. Instead of helping overthrow the Iranian government, as the protesters demanded, he would negotiate with them. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s comments on Fox News on Wednesday, urging the United States to participate in diplomacy, further fueled fears.
“If Trump gives the regime a lifeline, it would be a betrayal so deep that ordinary Iranians will not be able to recover. It would be the end of hope. Many people talk about Trump’s unpredictability, but using innocent lives for political theater is unacceptable,” Elham said.
Even as U.S. forces withdrew from bases in the Middle East and indications of a U.S. attack were gathering, it was unclear what Trump planned to do in Iran. Although unprecedented, the nationwide protests did not threaten the short-term stability of the Iranian state, which has well-armed and trained security forces.
While an attack on Iran would not protect protesters from harm, it could trigger retaliation against Israel and the United States. Other Iranian analysts have warned that U.S. intervention could further fuel accusations that the protests are foreign-backed without meaningfully benefiting the demonstrators’ cause.
However, Iranians abroad and at home hoped that the world would do something to help, even if they were not sure what.
Azam Jangravi, an Iranian living in Canada whose close friend was killed in the protests in Isfahan last week, said, “The Iranian people believed in him. They trusted his words. If he does not take action against this brutal regime, this trust will be broken and the Iranian people will not forget who they stood with and who returned.”
Although Trump appeared to be on the verge of an attack, the US said it did not completely rule out intervention. “Trump has made clear that all options are on the table to stop the carnage,” US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz told the UN security council on Thursday.
A US aircraft carrier was en route to the Middle East and military assets were being redeployed to support Israel’s air defenses; This is two indications that it is still possible for the US to attack Iran.
Many protesters in Iran feel like they are in limbo. Cut off from the rest of the world and under heavy pressure from the authorities, they are unsure whether they will take to the streets again.
Alborz, who lives in Tehran, said in a message to the Guardian: “The protests have come to a halt, people are waiting to see what Trump will do.”
