WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Iranians were “looking at freedom, perhaps like never before” and reiterated that the United States is ready to provide support as protests continue to spread across Iran.
“Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before,” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social. “The USA stands ready to help!!!” He repeated similar messages in follow-up posts, as US media reported that Washington is considering potential strikes against Iran.
Protests in Iran began on December 28 near Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, largely driven by a sharp decline in the Iranian rial and worsening economic conditions, and have since spread to multiple cities.
On Friday, Trump warned that Iran was “in big trouble” amid the growing unrest and emphasized that the US was “watching very closely,” cautioning Iranian authorities against using lethal force against demonstrators.
Iranian officials, in turn, accused the United States and Israel of instigating the unrest, stating that security forces and the judiciary “will show no tolerance whatsoever toward saboteurs.”
On Saturday, Trump also reshared comments by US Senator Lindsey Graham on his Truth Social account, in which the South Carolina lawmaker warned Tehran that its actions against protesters would not go unanswered. He further shared a Fox News report claiming that a protester had climbed the Iranian embassy in London, removed the current regime’s flag, and raised a pre-revolutionary symbol.
Meanwhile, US media reports suggest the Trump administration is weighing stronger measures. The Wall Street Journal reported initial discussions on potential strikes against Iran, while the New York Post indicated preliminary strikes on selected targets could be planned, though specifics were not disclosed.
Separately, retired US Navy Vice Admiral Robert Harward, a former deputy commander of US Central Command, urged the administration to expand support for Iranian protesters online. In an opinion piece for Fox News, Harward suggested the US establish State Department initiatives to help Iranians access secure virtual private networks (VPNs), noting that “approximately 86 per cent of Iranians use VPNs to bypass government restrictions and online surveillance.”
Harward argued that increased VPN access during internet disruptions would allow protesters to organize and communicate more safely. He also recommended that Washington draw up a target list of Iranian government entities involved in repressing free speech and violating human rights, including military command centers, cyber police headquarters, and morality police facilities.
