Trump tells Iranian leaders: ‘DO NOT KILL YOUR PROTESTERS’

President Trump in an early morning tweet on Sunday called on Iranian leaders to halt their crackdown on protesters.

“To the leaders of Iran – DO NOT KILL YOUR PROTESTERS. Thousands have already been killed or imprisoned by you, and the World is watching. More importantly, the USA is watching. Turn your internet back on and let reporters roam free!” Trump tweeted.

“Stop the killing of your great Iranian people!” he added.

To the leaders of Iran – DO NOT KILL YOUR PROTESTERS. Thousands have already been killed or imprisoned by you, and the World is watching. More importantly, the USA is watching. Turn your internet back on and let reporters roam free! Stop the killing of your great Iranian people!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2020

The tweet came one day after Trump posted a message in Farsi expressing support for the protesters after demonstrations erupted following Tehran’s admission that it accidentally shot down a Ukrainian flight.

“To the brave and suffering Iranian people: I have stood with you since the beginning of my presidency and my government will continue to stand with you,” Trump said on Saturday.

“We are following your protests closely,” he added. “Your courage is inspiring.”

In a follow-up tweet in English, the president said the government of Iran “must allow human rights groups to monitor and report facts from the ground on the ongoing protests by the Iranian people.”

“There can not be another massacre of peaceful protesters, nor an internet shutdown,” he added. “The world is watching.”

Iran initially denied responsibility for the crash, which killed everyone on board. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif later conceded it was the result of “human error at time of crisis caused by U.S. adventurism.”

The plane was shot down shortly after Iran launched missiles at an Iraqi air base housing U.S. troops in retaliation for the U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad earlier this month.

Protesters in Tehran chanted “Death to liars” and “Death to the dictator,” reportedly referencing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.