US President Donald Trump expressed outrage on Tuesday at the mounting number of executions in Iran of people allegedly involved in mass protests earlier this year, before the Middle East war began. He said Iran was killing protesters at levels not seen before, even when they were not protesting, calling it a humanitarian crisis that must stop immediately.
What did Trump say about Iran executing protesters?
Trump wrote on Truth Social that Iran's Islamic Republic is failing to pay large segments of its military while simultaneously killing protesters at unprecedented levels. He called the situation a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions and said it must be stopped now. It was not immediately clear what new information had prompted the early morning post, though executions have steadily increased since the war began on February 28.
Why are protesters being executed in Iran?
The joint US-Israeli strikes that began the war came weeks after Iran violently quelled mass protests. The rallies started in late December over anger at the high cost of living, then rapidly grew into widespread anti-government demonstrations that peaked on January 8 and 9. Iranian authorities reported more than 3,000 deaths but blamed the violence on terrorist acts orchestrated by the United States and Israel, while rights groups based abroad recorded a far higher toll and said security forces had fired on demonstrators.
Has the international community responded to Iran's executions?
Earlier this month, more than 30 countries signed a joint letter condemning the ongoing executions of protesters and Iran's use of the death penalty in the strongest terms. The United States, where capital punishment remains legal, did not sign the letter. Since then, at least three more people have been executed in Iran on charges related to the protests.
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