President Donald Trump stated Thursday that Iranian protesters are being systematically targeted by regime forces, including snipers, during a phone interview on Fox News' 'The Five.' Trump emphasized the Iranian people's courage but argued that fear of lethal retaliation has suppressed widespread demonstrations.
Regime Violence Suppresses Protests
'They’re petrified because the one side has guns and they have very nasty guns,' Trump said. 'And what they do is they shoot you, and the people are brave, but they’re not brave when they see people going down left and right.' He pointed to past protests led by women, claiming demonstrators were met with deadly force. 'It started with the women,' Trump said. 'Well, they had women being shot right between the eyes from snipers, four or five snipers in buildings pretty high up and a little far away.'
'When you see, and you’re a woman or you’re a man, frankly, and you see a person dropping to the ground, bleeding from the brain badly, and then you see another one on the other side, and then you’ll see five or 6 or 7, that’s all it took,' Trump said. 'You run and they ran and they never came back.'
Trump Draws Line Between Regime and People
Trump reiterated his stance that the U.S. should distinguish between Iran’s leadership and its civilian population, arguing the regime maintains control through violence. He also claimed the regime had issued direct warnings to deter protests. 'And if you noticed, about two weeks ago, they put out a notice that if you protest, we will shoot you,' Trump said. 'They kill them.'
While discussing Iran’s leadership, Trump repeated claims about Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, though he did not verify the allegations. The interview aired as Trump continues to defend U.S. actions against Iran under Operation Epic Fury, emphasizing support for the Iranian people while condemning the regime’s oppressive tactics.