Donald Trump: Iran has failed at all levels and it's time for change

The President of the United States reacted again on Monday, January 1, to the recent widespread protests in Iran, stating that "Iran has failed at all levels." Donald Trump tweeted his support for the protesters in Iran, asserting that now is the time for change. He wrote: "Iran, despite its very bad nuclear deal with the Obama administration, has failed at all levels. The great people of Iran have been suppressed for years. They are hungry for food and freedom." Trump added: "In addition to human rights, Iran's wealth has also been plundered. The time for change has come." Since the protests began in Iran, the President has tweeted about them almost every day. On Sunday, he wrote: "Iran, the number one state sponsor of terrorism with numerous human rights violations, has now shut down the internet so peaceful protesters cannot communicate with each other. This is not good!" On Saturday, he tweeted: "People are finally realizing how their money and wealth have been stolen and spent on terrorism. It seems this will no longer continue. The Iranian government must respect the rights of the people, including the right to express their opinions. The world is watching." Trump's support for the protests in Iran has been echoed by other American officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, House Speaker Paul Ryan, the State Department, and several U.S. Senators including Tom Cotton, Ted Cruz, John McCain, Lindsey Graham, Bernie Sanders, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The President's tweets have drawn a response from Hassan Rouhani, his Iranian counterpart, who, without naming Trump, stated: "This gentleman who today wants to sympathize with our people has forgotten that a few months ago he called the Iranian nation terrorists; this person who is entirely against the Iranian nation has no right to show compassion for the people of Iran." The Iranian Foreign Ministry has also protested Trump's statements. In response to the recent developments in Iran, Israel Katz, Israel's Minister of Intelligence, expressed hope that Iranian protesters would be "successful," but stated that his country has no role in the widespread protests in Iran over the past few days. According to the Associated Press, Katz said in a radio interview: "Israel will not interfere in this matter, but I certainly wish that the people of Iran succeed in their struggle for freedom and democracy." The protests in Iran, which began on Thursday in Mashhad, quickly spread to other cities, with protesters initially chanting against inflation and poor economic conditions, then directing their protests towards Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, and the domestic and foreign policies of the Islamic Republic in the Middle East. Based on videos shared by protesters on social media in recent days, images of Ayatollah Khamenei and Qassem Soleimani have been taken down from billboards and burned. Protesters have also chanted slogans such as "Death to Khamenei," "Referendum, referendum, this is the slogan of the people," and "Reformists, principlists, the story is over." According to the latest official statistics provided by Islamic Republic officials, at least 10 people have been killed in the recent protests, and hundreds have been detained by security forces. Access to social media and messaging apps Telegram and Instagram has been blocked, and internet speed has been slowed down.