For many Iranians who poured onto the streets during the latest wave of protests, US President Donald Trump appeared to be a potential lifeline. That belief, protesters say, is what makes his subsequent reversal feel like a betrayal. The sense of grievance comes from a gap between Trump's claims and his actions. Early in the unrest, the US President publicly encouraged Iranian protesters and issued warnings to Tehran. When he declared on social media that "help is on its way" and later warned that the US was "locked and loaded" if peaceful demonstrators were harmed, many Iranians interpreted those words as a promise of concrete backing, possibly even military intervention. News that the Pentagon had ordered some non-essential personnel to leave a major US base in the region was widely read as preparation for conflict.