Donald Trump issues rallying cry to Iranians as biggest protests in over a decade rock regime: ‘Help is on its way!’

"Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price," the US leader wrote on Truth Social.

"I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY. MIGA!!! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP," he added.

President Trump's rallying cry came as the US warned its citizens living in Iran to leave the country immediately after he was briefed on potential strike targets against the Islamic Republic.

According to US officials, the President had previously been exploring diplomatic options with the regime.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt warned that the use of air strikes was “one of the many, many options that are on the table".

Ms Leavitt also 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.”

Mr Trump told reporters on Sunday that the Islamic Republic had overstepped the mark, just days after saying he would defend the demonstrators if the regime were to use lethal force as part of its crackdown.

He said: “There seems to be some people killed who weren’t supposed to be killed.

“These are violent - you can call them leaders, I don’t know if they’re leaders. I guess they rule with violence. But we’re looking at it very seriously, the military’s looking at it. And there’s a couple options.”

On Monday night, the President announced new tariffs on Tehran's trading partners in a bid to ramp up economic pressure on Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's regime.

He wrote on his Truth Social platform: “Effective immediately, any country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a tariff of 25 per cent on any and all business being done with the United States of America."

The fresh measures are set to impact China, Brazil, Turkey and Russia - all of whom are engaged in business with the Islamic Republic.

Tehran is yet to issue a response to the tariffs, but China said it was against "any illicit unilateral sanctions and ⁠long-arm jurisdiction".

The demonstrations, which began in the Islamic Republic's capital a fortnight ago over economic hardship, have now spread to more than 100 cities and towns spanning all of Iran's provinces.

The UK has also been ratcheting up pressure on Iran, as Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper announced further sanctions against the Islamic Republic to "target finance, energy, transport, software and other significant industries”.

Ms Cooper previously told leaders in Tehran that it would “take time to fully implement the UK sanctions, and during that window, they should start compliance and engagement with the international community and end the deception and obfuscation”.

“They have not done so.

“Weapons inspectors still have not been given access, and far from changing their approach, we have seen instead a reversion to the most brutal forms of repression on their own streets," she continued.

“As a result, I can confirm the UK will bring forward legislation to implement full and further sanctions and sectoral measures.

“The UK has already designated key players in Iran’s oil, energy, nuclear and financial systems.

“Further measures will target finance, energy, transport, software and other significant industries which are advancing Iranian nuclear escalation, and we will work further with the EU and other partners to explore what additional measures might now be needed in response to developments," the Foreign Secretary said.

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