
President Donald Trump called directly on the Iranian people to overthrow their government, promising American backing while acknowledging the brutal cost of such an uprising could claim thousands more lives.
Direct Appeal to Iranian Citizens
Trump addressed Iranians directly with a message of support for regime change. “When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take,” the president declared. “America is backing you with overwhelming strength. Now is the time to seize control of your destiny and unleash the prosperous and glorious future that is close within your reach.” His comments mark an unprecedented direct call for foreign citizens to topple their government with promised American support.
Arms and Casualties Concern
Speaking on The Hugh Hewitt Show, Trump expressed deep conflict over the human toll. “I’m very torn on it, because they lost 42,000 people in the first two weeks,” he stated. “I don’t really want to see that.” The president emphasized that successful resistance requires weapons, explaining that unarmed protesters cannot prevail against armed forces. “You can’t have an unarmed population against people with AK-47s and stand there, even if you have 250,000 people,” Trump said, adding that Iranians “have to have guns” to fight effectively.
Regime Brutality and Weakness
Trump pointed to Iran’s violent suppression tactics, referencing the 2020 execution of wrestler Navid Afkari, who was hanged from a crane after participating in anti-government protests. “We’re not dealing with your typical people,” the president warned. Despite this brutality, Trump assessed the Iranian regime as vulnerable. “They’ve been depleted, a lot of the people fighting don’t want to fight anymore,” he explained. “They’re not getting paid anymore, from what I’m hearing, because we have obliterated them militarily and financially.”
Strategic Assessment
The president concluded his analysis with confidence in America’s position. “They’ve got a lot of problems, but we’ll see what happens. We have all the cards,” Trump declared. His comments suggest an administration strategy banking on internal collapse rather than direct military intervention, while acknowledging the deadly reality facing any Iranian uprising. The balance between supporting freedom movements and preventing mass casualties presents a complex foreign policy challenge as tensions with Tehran continue.
Sources
Dailystar: Trump ‘torn’ as he urges ‘AK-47’ uprising in Iran – but warns thousands more could die












