JERUSALEM, Israel – Now in its 17th day, the fight continues by millions of Iranians to overthrow the Islamic Republic of Iran. Protesters are calling out for the West to help, and especially, President Trump.
Despite a nearly total Internet blackout for days, foreign militias enlisted to fight the protesters, and live ammunition on the streets, Iranians continue to fill cities throughout Iran, such as Isfahan and Tehran, with their cry for freedom and a plea to the West.
Activists say the death toll from the nationwide protests has spiked to at least 2,000 people killed. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reports 1,847 protesters have been killed over the past few weeks, and 135 government-affiliated people have died as well.
Juliana Taimoorazy, founder and president of the Iraqi Christian Relief Council, described the cry of the protesters: “Please come and help us. The next few hours are critical. Their eyes are on Israel. Their eyes are on America. They’re begging, they’re pleading with us to assist.”
Most protesters are looking for that assistance from President Trump. On Monday, the president imposed a 25-percent tariff on nations that trade with Iran, with more options on the table.
He is scheduled to meet with advisors on Tuesday to determine the next steps for the U.S. after the State Department issued a warning for Americans in Iran to “leave now.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt explained, “Diplomacy is always the first option for the president. He’s told all of you last night that what you’re hearing publicly from the Iranian regime is quite different from the messages the administration is receiving privately, and I think the president has an interest in exploring those messages. However, with that said, the president has shown he’s unafraid to use military options, if and when he deems necessary. And nobody knows that better than Iran.”
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Iran claims it is ready for talks with the U.S. based on “mutual respect,” but some warn that the regime is simply buying time to brutally crush the protests. Reports from inside the country indicate that the death toll is staggering.
Iranian-American journalist Karmel Melamed told CBN News, “My sources have been telling me it’s a slaughterhouse. There are rivers of blood. That’s what my source has been telling me, in Tehran alone,” he said, and added, “A lot of regime forces have been perched on top of buildings, and in many cases, mowing down people from above. Snipers from inside of buildings have been shooting protesters.”
The mosques, Melamed reports, have become flashpoints.
“They’re targeting the mosques and some of these Islamic centers because the regime and the IRGC thugs are using them as bases of operation, command and control,” he observed. “And the protesters are saying, ‘No, we’re not going to allow the regime to use these sites to focus their attacks on them, we’re going to firebomb them. We’re going to set them ablaze. We’re not – this is full-on war by the people against the regime.'”
Melamed believes the war is escalating.
“In the last four days, the protests have gotten even more intense. There were thousands in the streets. Based on the videos that I’ve seen, the protests have grown into the millions. In Tehran, Mashhad, Kameshar, Hamadan, Isfahan, all the major cities. Literally millions pouring into the streets,” he stated.
Melamed continued, “People are saying, ‘This is it. We’re at the end of the rope. We’re at the end of the line.’ And the question I keep getting from folks in Iran is, ‘President Trump, so you said you’re going to come and help us, where are you? We’re getting slaughtered. Where is America? Where is Israel?'”
Despite the perils, the protesters say this is the final battle, according to Melamed.
“There’s a lot of hope,” he reported. “They’re saying, ‘We’re not giving up. We’ve got nothing to lose. They’ve got a finite number of bullets, but our numbers of people are way higher.’ There’s 90 million people in Iran right now. Even if one million or two million continue the protests, it’s game over for the regime; they can’t kill everyone. It’s only a matter of if the U.S., Israel, the West is going to step up and stop the slaughter.”
Taimoorazy says this hinge of history for Iran and the Middle East needs prayer.
“We must pray for the safety of these young men and women who are in prison. Pray for the families of the deceased. Pray for those that are brave, that have taken to the streets. We must pray for divine wisdom for Bibi Netanyahu, for the European Parliament, for President Trump.”
