Vice President Mike Pence said Monday that the U.S. will not repeat the “shameful mistake” of ignoring the “heroic resistance of the Iranian people” as the Trump administration vows to support Iranian protesters.
Pence tweeted that the multi-day protests against the rule of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani give Americans “hope and faith” for change in Tehran.
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“As long as @RealDonaldTrump is POTUS and I am VP, the United States of America will not repeat the shameful mistake of our past when others stood by and ignored the heroic resistance of the Iranian people as they fought against their brutal regime,” Pence tweeted.
“The bold and growing resistance of the Iranian people today gives hope and faith to all who struggle for freedom and against tyranny. We must not and we will not let them down,” he added in a second tweet.
At least ten people reportedly died in the protests in Iran on Sunday, the same day that the government warned of a crackdown against protesters.
“In the events of last night, unfortunately, a total of about 10 people were killed in several cities,” Iran’s state media reported.
President Trump himself has supported the protesters in several tweets, and pledged America’s support for the demonstrators.
“The people are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism,” Trump said early Sunday. “Looks like they will not take it any longer. The USA is watching very closely for human rights violations!”
“They are hungry for food & for freedom. Along with human rights, the wealth of Iran is being looted. TIME FOR CHANGE!” he added on Monday.
–This report was updated on Jan. 2 at 9:35 a.m.