Trump to the People of Iran: You Will Witness Great Support from America at the Right Time

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, once again praised the recent protests in Iran and emphasized U.S. support for Iranians on Wednesday, January 3. In a Twitter message, he wrote: "Great respect for the people of Iran who are reclaiming [their country from] their corrupt government." He also addressed the people of Iran, stating: "You will witness great support from the United States at the right time!" The U.S. President did not provide details about the nature of Washington's support for the people of Iran, but he is expected to announce his government's position on whether the U.S. will remain in or withdraw from the JCPOA within the next ten days. On October 13, he refused to certify Iran's compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers and passed the ball to the U.S. Congress to decide on reinstating sanctions against Iran. However, Congress did not express an opinion on this matter, and now the U.S. President must announce on January 12 and 13 whether Iran has adhered to the nuclear agreement. If Washington's position is negative, the U.S. may reinstate nuclear sanctions against Iran and increase pressure on the Islamic Republic. Over the past week, as protests have been ongoing in Iran, the U.S. President has almost daily expressed his support for these protests via Twitter and praised the demonstrators for standing up against what he called a "ruthless and corrupt government." He also wrote on Monday: "Iran has failed at every level despite its very bad nuclear deal with the Obama administration. The great people of Iran have been repressed for years. They are hungry for food and freedom." Iranian officials have not yet reacted to Donald Trump's latest statements but have previously described his remarks as "interventionist and hypocritical." In recent days, U.S. officials have actively commented on the widespread protests in Iran, calling for the Islamic Republic to respect the rights of protesters and allow peaceful gatherings. Washington even went so far as to request an emergency Security Council meeting to discuss developments in Iran through Nikki Haley, the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations. The Iranian mission to the UN called Ms. Haley's remarks "disgusting." Meanwhile, the UN Human Rights Commissioner has urged Iran to rein in security forces to prevent further violence and to respect the right to freedom of expression for protesters and peaceful assembly. According to Reuters, Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein, in a statement referring to the deaths of over 20 people and the arrest of hundreds during the recent protests in Iran, called for a "comprehensive, independent, and impartial investigation into the violent actions taken." He emphasized that the voices of protesters must be heard, stating, "Officials must ensure that all security forces act proportionately and, if necessary, fully within the framework of international law."