'They better behave': Trump mocks Iran's 'will retaliate US strikes' remark amid growing unrest

US President Donald Trump has once again threatened Iran, saying that the Islamic Republic should “better behave” as thousands of people die in widespread protests across the country.

When asked if he has a message for Iran, Trump said, “The message is they’ve got to show humanity. They’ve got a big problem, and I hope they’re not going to be killing people… it would seem to me that they have been badly misbehaving, but that is not confirmed.”

Meanwhile, Iran has repeatedly pushed back against Trump’s threat and asked Washington not to meddle in its internal affairs. Regarding this, a reporter said that Tehran has vowed retaliation to US strikes, to which the president said, “Yeah, Iran said that the last time I blew them up with the nuclear capability, which they don’t have any longer, so… they better behave.”

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Trump on Tuesday called on anti-government protesters in Iran to continue demonstrations across the country, telling them that “help is on its way”.

In a series of posts on Truth Social, Trump urged protesters to “take over your institutions” and introduced the slogan “MIGA”, short for “Make Iran Great Again”. He also said he had cancelled all meetings with Iranian officials.

“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price,” Trump wrote.

He added that all engagements with Iranian officials had been cancelled “until the senseless killing of protesters stops”, repeating that “help is on its way”.

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US asks citizens to leave Iran

The US State Department has issued an advisory for its citizens in Iran to “leave the country now” as violent protests spread and kill over 2,000 people. The department has advised US citizens to “consider departing Iran by land to Armenia or Turkey.”

The US virtual embassy has told its people to “plan alternative means of communication” due to “continued internet outages” and “have a plan for departing that does not rely on US government help.”

Iran responds to Trump

Responding to Trump’s threat, Iran’s UN mission said, “US fantasies and policy toward Iran are rooted in regime change, with sanctions, threats, engineered unrest, and chaos serving as the modus operandi to manufacture a pretext for military intervention.”

It accused the US president of encouraging political destabilisation, inciting violence and threatening Iran’s sovereignty.

At the same time, Iranian authorities will press charges punishable by death against some individuals arrested during recent demonstrations, prosecutors said on Tuesday, as concern grew that one man arrested during the protests already risks imminent execution.

The office of the Tehran prosecutor said in a statement quoted by state television that an unspecified number would be charged with “moharebeh”, or “waging war against God”, a sharia law term which is a capital offence in Iran and used widely in the past in death penalty cases.