Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican and frequent critic of Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s regime, posted a message on X in support of the widespread protests happening in the Mideast nation and assuring the protesters that President Donald Trump has “noticed” their resistance.
“When President Trump says Make Iran Great Again, it means the protestors in Iran must prevail over the ayatollah,” Graham wrote, in part. “To all who are sacrificing in Iran, God bless. Help is on the way.”
Why It Matters
Anti-government protests have spread across Iran, marking the most significant challenge to the Ayatollah’s rule since the 2022 protests that kicked off following the death of Mahsa Amini.
The newest wave of protests has unfolded over the past two weeks, with the Associated Press reporting the death toll has grown to at least 72 and over 2,300 others detained, citing the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. The Iranian government is attempting to crackdown on the demonstrations that started in response to a deteriorating economy and a currency that is plummeting in value as inflation spikes.
Authorities initially sought dialogue with the protesters, seeking to avoid the images that marked the mass protests in 2019 and 2022, but ultimately the unrest continued to spread and violence at the hands of the security forces unfolded.
The U.S., which has had a strained, distrustful relationship with Iran since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, has been increasingly vocal on Iran in recent days. Last week, President Donald Trump voiced support for the protesters and warned Iran that the U.S. is “locked and loaded and ready to go.”
What To Know
Graham reposted a New York Post article that mentioned Trump reposting an earlier message about Iran, to which the senator added a new message in support of and directed to “THE IRANIAN PEOPLE.”
“Your long nightmare is soon coming to a close. Your bravery and determination to end your oppression has been noticed by [POTUS] and all who love freedom,” the senator wrote. “…That is the clearest signal yet that he, President Trump understands Iran will never be great with the ayatollah and his henchmen in charge. To all who are sacrificing in Iran, God bless. Help is on the way.”
The senator’s earlier message on Saturday, which Trump reposted, hit out at the Obama administration for seemingly failing to stand up to the Iranian government “and standing behind the people of Iran protesting for a better life.”
“To the regime leadership: your brutality against the great people of Iran will not go unchallenged. Make Iran Great Again,” Graham wrote, which was in turn a response to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s own message of support for the protests.
What People Are Saying
Iran’s exiled prince and prominent opposition figure Reza Pahlavi told Newsweek in an emailed comment, in part: “The warning he [Trump] has issued to the regime gives my people greater strength and hope—that unlike President Obama and President Biden who sold out the people of Iran, President Trump stands with them.”
“When the regime and its security forces see that violent repression will carry consequences and that the Iranian people will not be abandoned, it raises the cost of brutality and affects behavior inside the system,” Pahlavi said. “”President Trump doesn’t need to listen to the so-called experts in DC or those who tell him this regime can be reformed from within. All he needs is to listen to the people of Iran on the streets who are asking for his help.”
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social: “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote on X on Friday: “The United States supports the brave people of Iran.”
What Happens Next
It’s unclear how long the protests in Iran will last, but with the U.S. signaling its support for protestors and following Trump’s recent intervention in Venezuela, it’s not clear what the U.S.’s response may be.
