The protests initially centered on economic grievances but have since evolved into a broader movement against the regime that has controlled Iran for decades. While the regime faces mounting internal pressure from outraged protesters, US President Donald Trump has added his own voice of warning to the Iranian leadership. Trump has repeatedly expressed support for the protest movement and called for an end to Iran’s Islamist regime, which has long been adversarial to the US. “There seem to be some people killed that aren’t supposed to be killed,” Trump told reporters on Sunday evening aboard Air Force One. But any heavy-handed response to the protests could make the regime vulnerable to strong reaction from US and its allies.

Source: Egypt Independent January 12, 2026 10:41 UTC