When Donald Trump said he would “rescue” protesters if Iranian authorities started shooting, Siavash Shirzad believed the U.S. 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 January 8, 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, stepping back from military intervention in Iran, at least temporarily.
In Iran, protesters despaired. Despite Trump’s reassurances, killings of demonstrators continued.
The streets of Tehran were empty, except for pickup trucks with armed security forces patrolling where tens of thousands had marched just days before. Protests continued in provinces outside the capital, but getting an accurate picture of their scale was difficult amid the communications blackout.
“Mass arrests are taking place. As soon as Trump’s attention moves elsewhere, the executions will start,” a resident of Tehran said in messages forwarded to the Guardian via an activist.
Iran doubled down on the prosecution of protesters, with state TV on Thursday airing footage of forced confessions and Iran’s chief justice interrogating detained protesters. Rights groups warned that protesters would probably not receive fair trials and that they had grave concerns over the conditions in which detainees are held.
“Past patterns in Iran demonstrate that periods of widespread unrest are accompanied by heightened abuses inside detention facilities, where these groups are particularly vulnerable to extrajudicial killing, enforced disappearance, torture, and other forms of ill-treatment,” more than 30 rights groups wrote in a joint letter on Thursday.
However, the authorities refrained from executing protesters, most notably canceling the death sentence of the 26-year-old protester Erfan Soltani and announcing no hangings would take place. Trump seemed pleased, sharing news that Soltani’s execution would not take place.
Iranians in the diaspora felt betrayed. For two weeks they watched a brutal crackdown on the streets of Iran. Messages from family came infrequently, if at all, and Trump’s statement that “help is on the way” seemed their only lifeline.
“As someone living in the diaspora, this feels like a slap in the face,” said Elham, an Iranian living in Sydney. “Iranians have been let down before. This time, there was a sense it was going to be different.”
To many Iranians abroad, Trump’s about-face felt like a victory for the Iranian regime. Instead of helping topple the Iranian government as protesters demanded, he was going to negotiate with them. The comments on Wednesday by the foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, on Fox News, urging the U.S. to engage in diplomacy only furthered their fears.A rally was held in Sydney on January 17 in support of the protests in Iran. Photograph: Flavio Brancaleone/Reuters
“If Trump gives the regime a lifeline, it will be such a profound betrayal that ordinary Iranians won’t recover. It will be the end of hope. Many talk about Trump’s unpredictability, but using innocent lives for political theater is intolerable,” said Elham.
Even as U.S. forces withdrew from bases in the Middle East and signs of a potential U.S. strike increased, Trump’s plans for Iran remained unclear. Although the nationwide protests were unprecedented, they did not threaten the short-term stability of the Iranian state, which has well-armed and trained security forces.
A strike on Iran could lead to retaliation against Israel and the U.S., without necessarily protecting protesters from harm. Other Iranian analysts warned that U.S. intervention could reinforce accusations that the protests are foreign-backed, without meaningfully advancing the demonstrators’ goals.
Still, Iranians both abroad and inside the country hoped the world would take action to help, even if they were unsure what form that might take.
Iranian people attend a rally in Toronto in solidarity with protesters in Iran on January 13. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images
“The people of Iran believed him. They placed their trust in his words. If he fails to act against this brutal regime, that trust will be broken, and the people of Iran will not forget who stood with them and who turned away,” said Azam Jangravi, an Iranian based in Canada whose close friend was killed in protests in Isfahan last week.
Although Trump seemed to step back from the brink of a strike, the U.S. has not completely ruled out intervention. Trump “has made it clear all options are on the table to stop the slaughter,” U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz told the UN Security Council on Thursday.
A U.S. aircraft carrier was heading to the Middle East, and military assets were being redeployed to strengthen Israeli air defenses—both signs that a U.S. strike on Iran remained possible.
In Iran, many protesters feel as if they are in limbo. Cut off from the rest of the world and under the heavy boot of authorities, they are unsure whether to take to the streets again.
“The protests have paused; people are waiting to see what Trump will do,” said Alborz, a Tehran resident, in messages forwarded to the Guardian.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about the sentiment among some Iranian protesters that they were misled by promises of support from former US President Donald Trump
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 What is this about I heard Iranian protesters feel betrayed by Trump
This refers to the feeling among some Iranians who protested against their government in recent years that the strong rhetorical support from former US President Donald Trump did not translate into the practical help they expected and may have even made their situation worse
2 What did Donald Trump promise or say to Iranian protesters
President Trump did not make a formal treaty or specific promise of direct aid Instead he used strong public rhetoric on social media expressing solidarity calling the Iranian government brutal and telling protesters we are with you This was interpreted by some as a signal of potential US backing
3 Why would protesters believe the US would help them
Historically US presidents have voiced support for human rights abroad Trumps very public and forceful messages combined with his administrations maximum pressure campaign against the Iranian government led some protesters to hope for concrete political or material support
4 So what kind of support were they expecting
Protesters hoped for things like stronger diplomatic pressure sanctions specifically targeting officials responsible for crackdowns internet access tools to bypass government shutdowns or vocal advocacy in international bodies Some may have hoped for more direct intervention but most expected tangible measures that could weaken the regimes ability to suppress them
5 Did the US actually provide any direct support to the protesters
No The US did not provide organized material aid weapons or direct intervention The primary US policy was the maximum pressure campaign of economic sanctions which was aimed at the Iranian state as a whole not support for an organized opposition
Advanced Analytical Questions
6 How did Trumps maximum pressure sanctions actually hurt the protesters
While intended to pressure the government the broad economic sanctions severely damaged Irans economy hurting ordinary citizens the most The government used this to blame the US for the peoples suffering often labeling protesters as foreign agents and using it as an excuse to crack down harder for
