Updated 14 January 2026 at 08:12 IST
'Main Killers Are...': Iran Security Chief's Sharp Retort After Trump's 'Help On It's Way' Post
Donald Trump had earlier said that he believed Iran is “starting to cross” the line and his national security team is weighing “very strong options” against the regime. He had also mentioned that the Iranians had made outreach efforts to the U.S.
New Delhi: Hours after Donald Trump assured Iran protesters that “help is on its way” as he snapped all prospects of talks with the Middle Eastern country, Iran's former parliament speaker who now serves as secretary of Iran’s national security chief Ali Larijani said that the US President and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are the “main killers” of Iranian people.
“We declare the names of the main killers of the people of Iran:1- Trump2- Netanyahu,” Ali Larijani posted in a sharp message on X, in reaction to Trump's post which comes amid recent threats to Iran as the Islamic Republic government cracks down on its protesters.
Larijani is a former parliament speaker and now serves as secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
"Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price. 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,” the US President declared on a Truth Social post.
Trump's ‘Help’
In an exchange with reporters during a visit to an auto factory in Michigan, Trump did not specifically mention what he meant by his ‘help’. “You’re going to have to figure that one out,” he said.
The US President also didn't have accurate numbers on the death toll in Iran. When questioned, he said, “I think it’s a lot. It’s too many, whatever it is.”
Earlier on Sunday, Trump told reporters that he believed Iran is “starting to cross” the line and his national security team is weighing “very strong options” against the regime. However, he also mentioned that the Iranians had made outreach efforts to the U.S.
However, the Trump administration had also maintained that a diplomatic solution between the regime and the US could be found.
“What you’re hearing publicly from the Iranian regime is quite different from the messages the administration is receiving privately, and I think the president has an interest in exploring those messages,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Monday.
“However, with that 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.”
According to a Times of Israel report, around 2,000 people have been killed in protests against Iran's regime. An Iranian official blamed "terrorists" for the deaths of civilians and security personnel. The report mentioned that it is the highest official death toll confirmed so far.
The Crown Prince In Exile
After Trump's assurance, Iran's exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi appealed to protesters and the country's armed forces, to keep protesting against the Khamenei regime, keeping their spirits up saying that the world is not only supporting them but is also "taking action".
“My compatriots, as I told you in my previous message, the world not only saw and heard your courage and voice but is taking action. By now, you have undoubtedly heard the message from the President of the United States. Help is on the way,” Pahlavi said in a video message on X.
"Continue the struggle. Do not let this regime portray the situation as normal," he said, adding that the scale of violence had permanently altered the relationship between the people and the ruling system. "After all this killing, there is an ocean of blood between us and this regime," he added.
(With AP inputs)
Published By : Satyaki Baidya
Published On: 14 January 2026 at 07:59 IST