Trump Calls on Tehran to Show Protesters Humanity Amid Reports of Rising Death Toll in Crackdown

TEHRAN, IRAN – JANUARY 8: People gather during protest on January 8, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. Demonstrations have been ongoing since December, triggered by soaring inflation and the collapse of the rial, and have expanded into broader demands for political change. (Photo by Anonymous/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump met Tuesday with his national security team to discuss the Iranian government’s violent crackdown on protesters as he looks to get a better understanding of the number of Iranian citizens who have been killed and arrested in more than two weeks of unrest throughout the country. Trump said believes that the killing — human rights monitors say the death toll has exceeded 2,500 — is “significant” and that his administration would “act accordingly.” He added that he believed the Iranian government was “badly misbehaving.” He said he has yet to receive a confirmed number of Iranians killed in the protests that began late last month. Trump added, “The message is they’ve got to show humanity.”