President issues stern warning amid reports of mounting death toll in ongoing Iranian demonstrations.
President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Iranian authorities on Tuesday, threatening significant U.S. retaliation if the Islamic Republic proceeds with plans to execute anti-government protesters who have taken to the streets in recent weeks.
According to CBS News, President Trump made the comments during an exclusive interview with "CBS Evening News" anchor Tony Dokoupil in Dearborn, Michigan, set to air Tuesday night. "We will take very strong action. If they do such a thing, we will take very strong action," the president stated when asked about reports that Iranian authorities may begin hanging demonstrators.
The warning comes as the situation inside Iran grows increasingly dire. Sources have told CBS News that at least 12,000 — and possibly upwards of 20,000 — people are now feared dead following more than two weeks of anti-government demonstrations. Disturbing videos circulating online reportedly show body bags lined up at a morgue in Tehran, painting a grim picture of the human cost of the ongoing unrest.
President Trump acknowledged during the interview that he is aware a "pretty substantial number" of people have already been killed during the protests. The demonstrations, which began over two weeks ago, have represented one of the most significant challenges to Iranian authorities in recent memory.
Earlier Tuesday, the president took to social media to address the crisis directly, warning Iranian officials that they will "pay a big price" for any continued violence against protesters. In the same post, he offered a message of hope to Iranian citizens, declaring that "HELP IS ON ITS WAY." The president also announced he would cancel all scheduled meetings with Iranian officials until the killing of protesters ceased.
During his interview with Dokoupil, Trump elaborated on his promise of assistance, stating that "there's a lot of help on the way" for Iranian citizens in "different forms," including economic assistance. He referenced U.S. airstrikes conducted last year that targeted three of Iran's nuclear facilities but declined to provide additional specifics about what further actions might be taken.
When pressed about his ultimate strategy regarding Iran, the president responded characteristically: "The endgame is to win. I like winning."
Asked to define what victory would look like, Trump pointed to several military operations from both his first and second terms in office, including the recent capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, the 2019 Syria raid that resulted in the death of ISIS founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and the 2020 assassination of Qassem Soleimani, commander of Iran's elite Quds Force.
The president drew a clear distinction between peaceful protest and violent suppression, delivering a pointed warning to Tehran. "We don't want to see what's happening in Iran happen. And you know, if they want to have protests, that's one thing, when they start killing thousands of people, and now you're telling me about hanging — we'll see how that works out for them. It's not going to work out good."
The full interview is scheduled to air on CBS Evening News on Tuesday night.