Trump cancels talks, tells protesters ‘help is on its way’
Reuters reported that an Iranian official said about 2,000 people have been killed so far during the protests, largely in line with activists’ claims. Meanwhile, a spokesman for the United Nations human rights office said he had heard that the number was in the hundreds, based on sources in Iran.
The Islamic regime has cut off internet access in Iran and is trying to block Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite service, which protesters use to organize and communicate with the outside world. This makes it difficult to assess the death toll and the full extent of the demonstrations.
Iranians participated in the anti-government protest in Tehran on January 9. The size of the demonstrations surpassed all the recent uprisings in Iran. Credit: access point
Bloomberg reported early Wednesday (AEDT) that Musk’s SpaceX was waiving subscription fees in Iran and offering the service for free.
Still, with some phone services restored, more reports began to come from Iran.
“I saw it with my own eyes; they shot straight into the line of protesters and people fell to the ground where they were standing,” one protester told the BBC.
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The security forces of Omid, who was in his early 40s and whose name was changed by the BBC for his security reasons, opened fire with an assault rifle on unarmed protesters in his city. “We are opposing a brutal regime with empty hands,” he said.
Doctors in Iran say the healthcare system is on the verge of collapse.
“The bodies and the injured, men, women and children, are arriving in trucks, ambulances and private cars,” said a doctor near Tehran. London Telegraph.
“We can’t help everyone. Many died because we couldn’t even visit them. Some of my colleagues fainted. We have shortages of everything.
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“There are rivers of blood in hospitals here.”
During a visit to Michigan earlier on Wednesday (AEDT), Trump refused to announce that aid was on the way. But in a speech to the Detroit Economic Club, he implied that this was a reference to the 25 percent tariffs he announced for countries still doing business with Iran.
Trump also said the death toll was unclear. “I hear five different series of numbers [but] “One death is too many,” he said, and continued: “Everything is so fragile. This could have happened to us, I’m telling you. “This would have happened to us if I hadn’t won the election.”
Reza Pahlavi, the exiled crown prince and son of the deposed Iranian shah, is also among those calling on Trump for military intervention.
“The carnage has reached incredible proportions. The regime is using military machines (AK-47s) to shoot and kill protesters without mercy. Morgues are overcrowded,” he told Fox News.
Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the deposed shah of Iran, was in Paris last year. It’s unclear whether there is much support among protesters in Iran.Credit: access point
“The deciding factor that everyone is waiting for is: When will the cavalry come? Part of the reason they’re still fighting in the streets is because they believe this president is determined to do what he promised.”
Vice President J.D. Vance dismissed a report Wall StreetJournal This suggested that, unlike Secretary of State Marco Rubio, he was trying to persuade Trump to seek a diplomatic solution rather than use force.
Vance’s aide, William Martin, released a statement saying Vance and Rubio together presented the president with a range of diplomatic and military options “without prejudice or favor.”
Governments in Europe summoned Iranian ambassadors to demand accountability for the brutality the regime inflicted on its own people. In its statement about X, the German Foreign Ministry described the actions of the Islamic Republic as “shocking”.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper announced that Britain is preparing for new sanctions targeting Iran’s finance, energy, transportation, software and other sectors.
“This latest behavior by the Iranian regime is not an aberration. It is not an outlier. It is entirely consistent with the fundamental nature and track record of this regime,” Cooper told the House of Commons.
“Just like in 2022, it is clear that the Iranian regime is trying to portray these protests as the result of external influence and provocations.
“They use this accusation to incite opposition to protests among anti-Western Iranians and to try to justify their disgusting and sickening attacks on ordinary civilians walking the streets.”
Protests began on December 28 over the collapse of the currency and grew into wider demonstrations and calls for the destruction of the religious institution.
Iranian authorities adopted a dual approach, describing protests related to economic issues as legitimate, while at the same time applying pressure.
The United States, which has not had diplomatic relations with Iran since 1980 and currently warns Americans not to travel to this country, issued a warning stating that US citizens in Iran should consider going to Armenia or Türkiye if it is safe.
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