Trump Says Iran Killed No Protesters, Cites 'Very Important Sources' (Likely Himself)
President Trump, according to Bloomberg, declared that killings of Iranian protesters had "stopped" and that there were "no plans for executions." He attributed this intelligence to "very important sources" within Iran (presumably the same sources that informed him Greenland was up for sale). This conveniently sidelines the well-documented history of the Iranian government's violent suppression of
dissent. In reality, Amnesty International and other human rights organizations have repeatedly detailed severe crackdowns, including hundreds killed and thousands arrested during protests as recently as 2019-2020. The state's apparatus of control is not known for its sudden, humane transformations. One might wonder if these 'sources' are perhaps less concerned with human rights and more with
international appeasement, given a history of similar pronouncements preceding negotiations or policy shifts that often benefit such regimes. The pattern of Western leaders downplaying human rights abuses in strategically important nations is as old as diplomacy itself. How many times have we heard optimistic claims only to see further crackdowns once the cameras turn away? This sounds less like a
cessation of violence and more like a carefully orchestrated propaganda beat, amplified by a US President eager to claim success.