As Iran Slaughters Protesters, Trump Sends Mixed Signals

President Donald Trump continues to play a guessing game over Iran, highlighting the deployment of major U.S. naval and air assets to the region while suggesting that military action may not be necessary. In early January 2026, he said the United States was “locked and loaded and ready to go.” Days later, he reversed course, claiming that Tehran had refrained from carrying out executions. That abrupt shift signaled hesitation as the Islamic Republic was killing thousands of protesters.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Trump said that Iran’s leaders “want to talk, and we’ll talk.” Flying home on Air Force One on January 22, 2026, Trump told reporters, “We’re watching Iran,” adding that the United States was sending a military force toward the region. He said he would prefer to avoid conflict but stressed that Washington is monitoring Tehran “very closely.” Trump added that several U.S. naval vessels were heading in that direction “just in case,” describing the deployment as a “big flotilla” that may not need to be used but will remain in place as events unfold.

The contradictions in his statements have not stopped many observers from concluding that an attack is imminent, based on the scale of U.S. deployments—especially an aircraft carrier strike group and aerial refueling tankers. At the same time, the mixed messaging has created uncertainty among Iranians who pinned their hopes on immediate U.S. action to stop the massacres.

Trump’s earlier decision to cancel a strike—based on the claim that Iran had halted executions—has become increasingly difficult to defend as eyewitness accounts describe atrocities. These include the denial of medical care to wounded protesters and the killing of injured people inside hospitals. While estimates put the death toll at around 20,000, some observers believe the real figure is higher. Iranian officials have acknowledged between 3,100 and 5,000 deaths. The regime has cut internet access for nearly two weeks, making verification harder.

An anonymous Iranian wrote on X: “We couldn’t stand up to DShK heavy machine guns, Kalashnikovs, G3 rifles, machine guns, and the fully armed armored units of the IRGC and Basij, along with Hashd al-Shaabi, Hezbollah, the Fatemiyoun, and the Zeynabiyoun. We were very brave, but our hands were empty.”

Kimia Alizadeh, a famous athlete inside Iran and a double Olympic medalist, wrote, “Witnesses report the constant sound of heavy machinery inside a government detention complex in Tehran, every hour, even midday. There are fears of mass executions without trials. This is the same building where women are detained for ‘hijab violations.’ Mahsa Amini was killed there.”

A video emerged showing a father searching among body bags for his son. “Sepehr, my Sepehr, where are you? This is Khamenei’s crime,” he cried.

Based on social media posts trickling out of Iran—mostly through Starlink terminals and brief windows of connectivity—many protesters continue their struggle. Numerous posts say that any remaining restraint toward the Islamic Republic vanished after the massacres. Others openly threaten regime forces, often naming specific individuals who fired on demonstrators and calling for revenge.

One post addressed security forces directly: “Do you think you’ll get away with it if the U.S. doesn’t attack? Do you think you’re safe just because you’re armed? Your doctor, your nurse, your mechanic, your children’s teacher, your neighbor, the local shopkeeper, your taxi driver—the old and the young—and even many members of your own family are all of us. We are watching you. That shadow following you down an empty alley—it’s us. You are no longer our compatriot. You are not even human. Your hands are stained with blood. You are an occupying force, and destroying you is a national duty.”

Hundreds of other posts express determination to continue fighting the Islamic Republic. One anonymous user shared a photo of a young woman, Nazeli Janparvar, killed on January 8. The writer said she had carried her will with her to the protest, and it was later recovered stained with blood. It read: “War, war until freedom.”

A London-based Iranian journalist wrote: “Ali Khamenei will not lose his will to massacre the people, but those who carry out his orders are in a very different position. The psychological pressure on those who committed these crimes continues. Many have realized they will never again live a normal life among the people. Many members of the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] have been ostracized by their own families. Every member of the IRGC and the Basij is an agent of crime.”

Trump’s hesitation carries a growing strategic cost. Each day without decisive action gives the Islamic Republic time to regain control, reorganize its forces, and deepen repression as international attention fades. For protesters who have already paid in blood, symbolic deterrence offers little protection. If Washington limits itself to military posturing, the message to Tehran will be clear: mass killing works. The regime will survive this uprising and emerge more brutal, more confident, and more dangerous—both to its own people and to the region.