US President Donald Trump said he has not yet received reliable information on how many people have died during the ongoing protests in Iran, as he advised Americans still in the country to consider leaving.
When asked whether US citizens — as well as citizens of allied nations — should depart Iran, Trump said it would be wise to do so. “I’d say it’s probably not a bad idea to get out,” he told reporters.
Speaking from the floor of a Ford manufacturing plant in Michigan, where F-150 pickup trucks are produced, the president declined to provide further details about a message he had previously issued suggesting assistance was being offered to protesters.
“You’re going to have to work that one out,” Trump said when pressed for clarification.
Trump acknowledged that the number of people killed during the demonstrations remains uncertain. “No one has been able to give me an exact figure,” he said. “I’ve heard numbers across the board — and even one death is too many. But I’ve heard figures that are much lower, and I’ve heard figures that are much higher. We should know more within the next 24 hours.”
According to a US-based human rights organization, at least 1,850 protesters have been reported killed during more than two weeks of unrest across Iran.
