Trump must uphold his commitment to Iranians as Tehran accord unravels - editorial

Back in January, President Trump assured Iranians that assistance was forthcoming; half a year on, they merit more than quiet, deals, and remorse.

Counter-protesters hold a banner with an image of US President Donald Trump on it, on the day of a rally marking Al-Quds Day and opposing the war on Iran and Lebanon outside the US consulate in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, March 14, 2026.

(photo credit: REUTERS/Laura Proctor )

ByJPOST EDITORIAL

JULY 9, 2026 05:55

Updated: JULY 9, 2026 07:29

When President Trump urged Iranian patriots in January to sustain demonstrations, assume control of their institutions, and preserve the identities of those responsible for killings and abuses, he issued a pledge that must not be dismissed as empty talk: assistance is on the way.

That pledge came at a cost paid in blood by the Iranian people.

Recent weeks have seen global debate over whether the US-Iran understanding benefits oil markets, harms Israel, secures shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, aids Lebanon, or suits a White House eager to conclude conflict.

Israel has solid grounds to reject any accord that preserves Tehran's nuclear capabilities, missile arsenal, proxy forces, and regional influence. Yet in the swirl of diplomacy and economic reviews, the true victims of the Islamic Republic remain sidelined.

These include women, students, laborers, parents, and youth who protested a regime that has impoverished, censored, assaulted, imprisoned, and fired upon them to maintain control.

They understand Iran's prisons, morality police, Revolutionary Guards, propaganda apparatus, and pattern of diverting national resources to overseas conflicts.

January protests sparked by Iran's domestic crises

The January protests, now marking six months, arose from economic breakdown, rampant inflation, and frustration with government shortcomings.

Yet they grew into a broader movement. Chants in cities nationwide focused on self-rule, respect, and the Iranian right to claim their nation from a clerical-military elite and its regional ambitions.

This explains why the global silence has proven so disgraceful.

Numerous governments and analysts have permitted Tehran to frame a freedom struggle as external meddling or reduce it to sanctions, currency rates, oil paths, and bargaining strategies.

Economic hardship drew crowds out, yet the solution lies not in propping up the regime that caused it.

Rights organizations reported in January that Iranian forces conducted widespread killings after protests intensified on January 8, with thousands of demonstrators and onlookers believed slain amid communication blackouts.

Amnesty International labeled that period the most lethal wave of repression by Iranian authorities in decades of monitoring.

One victim stated, If we do not protest for Iran's freedom today, our children may face the task later. Today we risk our lives for their improved tomorrow.

The remark preceded their death at regime hands during the January protests, per accounts provided to The Jerusalem Post before the six-month milestone.

That statement and its underlying conviction ought to trouble every leader who spurred Iranians to act, only to invoke procedural language when the price rose.

Trump must stand by Iranians while awaiting MoU breakdown

Trump correctly notes that engaging this regime wastes time. He rightly adds that a government shooting protesters cannot be relied upon to change via standard talks.

Still, the response cannot involve forsaking the Iranian people until talks fail again or another oil disruption unsettles markets.

Instead, the path forward recognizes that regime change in Iran aligns with both strategic needs and ethical demands. Such change must originate from within Iran, not from external imposition.

It should honor Iran's heritage, culture, and prospects while receiving backing from democracies through penalties on perpetrators, tools to evade censorship, records for justice, isolation of regime figures, and rejection of rewards for Tehran's self-inflicted troubles.

A liberated Iran would not resolve all regional issues, but it could reshape the area beyond any accord with the Islamic Republic.

It could diminish Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and militias funded by Tehran's resources and doctrine. It could enable one of the region's historic societies to recover.

This goal demands joint efforts, not unilateral action, and must stay central for all participants.

In January, Iranians heard that help was coming; six months later, they deserve more than quiet, deals, and remorse.