When Donald Trump, said he would "rescue" protesters if Iranian authorities started shooting, Siavash Shirzad believed the US president. The 38-year-old father had seen protests rise up before, only to be brutally crushed by authorities. But this was the first time in his life that the president of the United States had promised to help demonstrators. Reassured, Shirzad took to the streets, ignoring his family's warnings and joining the growing crowds. Authorities started shooting, but no help came. On 8 January, the internet was shut off and Iran went dark, Shirzad was shot at a protest in Tehran and died of his wounds hours later, leaving behind a 12-year-old son. "Siavash hoped until the very end that Trump's help would arrive," his cousin said, speaking anonymously for fear of repercussions. "We told him: Don't go, it's dangerous.' But he gave a firm answer: Trump said he supports us, I'm going.'"
On Tuesday, Trump urged Iranians to keep protesting and to "take over your institutions", telling them "help is on its way", as reports grew that a strike on Iran was imminent. But just a day later, Trump abruptly did an about-face, telling reporters that he had received assurances that Iranian authorities would not execute anyone, walking back from military intervention in Iran, at least temporarily.
In Iran, protesters despaired. Despite Trump's reassurances, killings of demonstrators continued.
Ali Khamenei says thousands killed in Iran protests, some in inhuman, savage manner'
Supreme leader blames US for death toll and calls Donald Trump a criminal for support of demonstrations
www.theguardian.com
The Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has acknowledged for the first time that thousands of people were killed during the protests that rocked Iran over the last two weeks.
In a speech on Thursday, Khamenei said that thousands of people had been killed, "some in an inhuman, savage manner", and blamed the US for the death toll. The supreme leader railed against the US president, Donald Trump, whom he called a "criminal" for his support of demonstrations, and called for strict punishment of protesters.
Khamenei said: "By God's grace, the Iranian nation must break the back of the seditionists just as it broke the back of the sedition."
Iranian authorities also released a compilation of footage on Saturday that purported to show armed individuals carrying guns and knives alongside regular protesters " evidence, they said, of foreign saboteurs.
Another senior Iranian cleric demanded the execution of protesters, demanding that "armed hypocrites should be put to death".
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