Trump Says Iranians Fear Deadly Crackdown if They Protest

U.S. President Donald Trump said Iranians are not rising up against their government because they fear being shot by authorities.

Responding to a reporter’s question, Trump said the regime has warned that anyone protesting will be “shot and killed.”

“They killed 32,000 protestors, at least. We think the number is much higher than that,” he said, adding that demonstrators are unarmed and face severe repression.

Trump said he understands why many Iranians are hesitant to protest, noting that authorities have issued warnings that any new demonstrations would be met with deadly force.