"When Trump thought protesters might triumph, he made them extravagant promises. After it became clear that they weren't going to quickly overthrow the mullahs, he treated them as disposable allies. His offhand commentary casts doubt on their prospects-potentially demoralizing the very people he once claimed to champion-and he has dismissed alternatives such as Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran's deposed shah."
"Before the Islamic Republic began murdering their fellow pro-democracy demonstrators by the thousands, Trump barely lifted a finger to support them. This month, soon after he launched strikes in the name of ousting the regime that committed these atrocities, he told the protesters, 'When we are finished, take over your government.' But he quickly retracted any such notion by suggesting that he would happily strike a deal with a faction of the existing regime."
Trump initially expressed support for Iranian pro-democracy protesters in January, telling them 'Help is on the way' during street demonstrations. However, his commitment proved inconsistent and ultimately hollow. When protesters failed to quickly overthrow the regime despite U.S. military strikes, Trump shifted strategy, suggesting willingness to negotiate with regime factions and publicly dismissing protesters' chances of success. He refused to apologize for civilian casualties from American strikes, which strengthened the regime's narrative that the U.S. disregards Iranian civilian welfare. This pattern of making extravagant promises followed by abandonment reflects a broader bipartisan American failure to meaningfully support democratic opposition movements in Iran.
Read at The Atlantic
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