In an interview with the broadcaster CBS News This Tuesday (13), the President of the United States, Donald Trump, stated that Washington will adopt a “very strong” response if the Iranian regime authorities begin executing protesters, amid the wave of protests that has hit the country for two weeks.
According to Trump, information about possible hangings of opponents was taken into consideration by the White House and, if confirmed, will provoke a direct reaction from the United States. According to human rights organizations, the Islamic regime has scheduled the execution of a protester who participated in the protests that began at the end of December for this Wednesday (14).
“We are going to take very strong action,” said the Republican.
In the interview, Trump said he was aware that a “very significant number” of people had already died during the repression of the protests. Sources heard by CBS News estimate that the total number of protesters killed in Iran could vary between 12 thousand and 20 thousand. The NGO Human Rights Activists said it had confirmed 1,850 deaths, including children, in addition to more than 16,000 arrests in the first 17 days of protests, highlighting that the real numbers could be even higher.
Earlier, Trump published a message on social media stating that he had canceled dialogue with the Islamic regime and asked the protesters to take control of the country. He also said that aid was on its way to the country, without specifying what type of aid it would be.
During the interview at CBS NewsTrump said the United States is offering support to the Iranians “in different forms,” including economic aid. Asked what the ultimate objective of American policy towards Iran would be, Trump replied that “the objective is to defeat” the regime.
Earlier, Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh stated that the Persian country will respond “to any new act of aggression” and that it will defend itself “to the last drop of blood” if American threats of military intervention in the country come true.
