President Donald Trump tweeted in Persian on Saturday. He wrote to encourage a new, fiery round of protests in Iran against their government. Trump called the protesters’ courage “inspiring.”
Translated into English, the president’s message reads:
To the brave and suffering Iranian people: I have stood with you since the beginning of my presidency and my government will continue to stand with you. We are following your protests closely. Your courage is inspiring.
Trump’s show of support to the Iranian protesters seemed coordinated with the State Department. He sent the message soon after the State Department tweeted a meme of Donald Trump supporting the Iranian people.
Protesters shouted demands for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to step down . They could be heard chanting near Tehran Polytechnic University:
Death to the Islamic Republic! Down with Khamenei!
They also chanted:
Commander-in-chief, Resign! Resign!
Outrage at a perceived cover up by their government sparked the latest round of Iranian protests. It reveals continuing unrest in the country since the 2017 – 2018 Iran protests. In 2017, demonstrators chanted , “Death to the dictator!”
Donald Trump has tweeted in Persian before .
But last time his message was directed at the regime in Iran. On the 40th anniversary of Iran’s revolution last year, he condemned “#40YearsofFailure.”