Former US President Donald Trump has issued a stark message to the people of Iran, urging them to continue their uprising against the regime and to document the names of those responsible for a violent crackdown that has reportedly left more than 2,000 dead.
A Dire Plea from Detroit and a Cryptic Promise
Speaking at an event in Detroit on January 13, 2026, Trump directly addressed Iranian citizens. He called on "Iranian patriots" to "keep protesting" and to "take over your institutions, if possible." His most chilling instruction was to "save the name of the killers and the abusers that are abusing you," adding, "I say save their names because they'll pay a very big price."
This public rhetoric followed an enigmatic post on his Truth Social platform, where he stated, "Help is on it's way." When pressed by reporters to explain, Trump replied, "You're going to find out soon," before advising that it was "a good idea for Americans to leave Iran."
Unprecedented Violence and Blanket Death Sentences
The protests, which began over two weeks ago amid anger at Iran's failing economy, swiftly evolved into a direct challenge to the country's theocracy and its 86-year-old Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The scale of the state's response has been devastating.
The death toll, now exceeding 2,000, far surpasses that of any previous round of unrest in Iran for decades. A significant surge in fatalities was recorded from January 8 onwards, with many of the victims said to be under 30 years old. In a move that effectively sanctioned mass executions, Iran's Prosecutor General declared all protesters to be mohareb (enemies of God) on January 10, a charge carrying the death penalty.
Iranian state television offered a rare, grim acknowledgment of the carnage, stating the country had "a lot of martyrs," blaming "armed and terrorist groups." Disturbingly, Iran's Foreign Minister confirmed that some wounded protesters had been "finished off" with a final shot, though he attributed these acts to "enemy-linked terrorist elements."
Martial Law and an Imminent Execution
Reports from within Iran paint a picture of cities under near-martial law, with shopkeepers ordered to close. An informed source told Iran Human Rights that on January 8 alone, at least 80 protesters were killed in several cities. Fifty bodies were seen in hospitals in Sari, with 15 more reported in both Ghaemshahr and Zirab.
The crisis is set to reach a new nadir with the scheduled execution of 26-year-old Erfan Soltani. Convicted of "waging a war against God" for his part in the anti-government protests, Soltani is to be hanged after being denied a lawyer and a fair trial. His family were permitted only one ten-minute "final farewell" meeting, according to reports from IranWire.
As communications are slowly restored after a state-enforced blackout, the world watches a nation in profound turmoil, with a former American president adding a volatile new dimension to the escalating conflict.
