President Donald Trump urged the people of Iran to "take over" the country on Tuesday. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
Since the unrest broke out, Iranian authorities have killed at least 646 protesters, with thousands more deaths expected to be confirmed. Reuters reported the death toll at 2,000, citing an unnamed Iranian official.
The White House confirmed on Monday that Trump was weighing whether to bomb Iran in reaction to the crackdown.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that diplomacy remains Trump’s first option, but that the president "has shown he’s unafraid to use military options if and when he deems necessary."
IRAN’S ‘DISTINCTIVE’ DRONE DEPLOYMENT SEES DEATH TOLL SOAR AMID VIOLENT PROTESTS
Iranians gather while blocking a street during a protest in Tehran, Iran on January 9, 2026. (MAHSA / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz went so far as to predict an end to Ayatollah Ali Khamenie's regime.
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"I assume that we are now witnessing the final days and weeks of this regime," he told reporters while in India on Tuesday.
"When a regime can only maintain power through violence, then it is effectively at its end. The population is now rising up against this regime," he added.
Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to Anders.Hagstrom@Fox.com, or on X: @Hagstrom_Anders.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-cancels-all-meetings-iran-calls-protesters-take-over-country