Trump's Latest Message to the People of Iran: You Must Strongly Believe in Freedom. Nothing Compares to Freedom. You Are Brave People.

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, on Thursday, January 8, 2025, during the twelfth day of nationwide protests and strikes in Iran, warned the Islamic Republic again about killing protesters in a video interview. The program host Hugh Hewitt asked Mr. Trump, 'Do you have a message for the people of Iran, President Trump?' The U.S. President replied, 'The only thing I can say is that you must strongly believe in freedom. Nothing compares to freedom. You are brave people. It is a shame what has happened to your country. Your country was a magnificent country.' He added, 'I remember years ago, when I was a young real estate developer, my friends went to Iran and did great. They built buildings in Iran. By the way, they are still barely standing. But they are still standing. I see their photos. Apartment houses. And they did very well in Iran. They have passed away. They were very successful developers. They were great people. Most of them were New York developers. But they went to Iran and did relatively well in Iran. And I remember them saying that the people [of Iran] are great. The whole region was great. It was an amazing market. And now look at it. See what has happened.' Donald Trump: We must see who emerges from the protests in Iran. Support from the U.S. Vice President for Iranian protesters. U.S. State Department: The crackdown has failed, the people of Iran stand firm. 'At least 45 dead, including eight children'; report on 12 days of resistance against repression.