Ammon News - U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged Iranians to keep protesting and remember the names of those abusing them, saying help is on the way, as Iran's clerical establishment pressed its crackdown against the biggest demonstrations in years.

Iran in turn accused Trump of encouraging political destabilization and inciting violence.

"Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!... HELP IS ON ITS WAY," Trump said in a post on Truth Social, without saying what that help might be.

He said he had canceled all meetings with Iranian officials until the "senseless killing" of protesters stopped and in a later speech told Iranians to "save the name of the killers and the abusers ... because they'll pay a very big price."

An Iranian official said about 2,000 people had been killed, the first time authorities have given an overall death toll from more than two weeks of nationwide unrest.

U.S.-based rights group HRANA said that of the 2,003 people whose deaths it had confirmed, 1,850 were protesters. It said 16,784 people had been detained, a sharp increase from the figure it gave on Monday.

The unrest, sparked by dire economic conditions, has posed the biggest internal challenge to Iran's rulers for at least three years and has come at a time of intensifying international pressure after Israeli and U.S. strikes last year.

The U.S. president on Monday announced 25% import tariffs on products from any country doing business with Iran - a major oil exporter. China, which buys much of Iran's oil exports, swiftly criticized the move.

The protests began on December 28 over the fall in value of the currency and have grown into wider demonstrations and calls for the fall of the clerical establishment.

Reuters