‘He Fooled Us’: Iranian Protesters Accuse Trump Of Betraying Them After Raising Hopes Of Support

Last Updated:January 18, 2026, 14:23 IST

Iranian protesters felt betrayed by Donald Trump after his initial support gave way to inaction, fueling anger and disillusionment amid rising calls for political reform.

Supporters of the Iranian opposition group, the Council of Resistance of Iran, protest to demand an immediate stop to the violence against protesters in Iran and an end to detentions and repression, in Berlin, Germany, January 3, 2026. (REUTERS)

As protests spread across Iran, some demonstrators believed strong rhetoric from US President Donald Trump signalled support for their movement. That expectation, protesters now say, has given way to anger and disillusionment, with many accusing Trump of abandoning them.

The protesters accused Trump of betraying them, saying they were misled and deceived by his actions and statements.

In the early days of the unrest, the US president openly voiced support for Iranian protesters and issued warnings to Tehran. When he posted on social media that “help is on its way" and later said the United States was “locked and loaded" if peaceful demonstrators were harmed, many Iranians read the remarks as a pledge of tangible support, possibly even military intervention.

As demonstrations intensified, the Iranian state responded with measures long associated with past crackdowns, including shutting down communications, deploying security forces and using lethal force. Accounts from across the country spoke of sniper fire, machine-gun attacks and a high number of people killed or missing. For some Iranians, the blame does not rest solely with their own government.

News that the Pentagon had ordered some non-essential personnel to leave a major US base in the region was widely read as preparation for conflict.

Trump later said Iran’s leadership had assured him that killings and executions would stop, and he indicated that the expected US military action would not take place. For protesters who had risked their lives believing Washington would step in, the announcement was a shock.

Referring to the protest death toll, a Tehran businessman told TIME magazine, “Trump is responsible for the death of these 15,000."

“Because many of the protesters took to the streets when they saw his post that the US is ‘locked and loaded.’ The US must have made a deal with the Islamic Republic to ‘betray Iranians like this,'" he added.

“After he said the Iranian authorities had told him there won’t be any more killings and executions, everyone was just stunned," said an Iranian interviewed after leaving the country.

“Everyone was enraged; they just kept saying this b*stard used us as cannon fodder. Iranians feel that they were played, that he fooled them, deceived them," he added.

The emotional reversal was particularly severe for those who had acted on Trump’s words.

“Trump is worse," said a businessman in Tehran. “He screwed up. He pulled the rug from under our feet."

“He’s not only yellow on the outside, he’s also yellow inside," another Tehran citizen told the magazine.

According to them, Trump’s remark raised expectations that directly influenced people’s decisions to protest, only for that support to evaporate when it mattered most. Some believe a deal was struck behind closed doors. Others see indifference.

“I’ve lost all hope," said a woman in Tehran. “Trump’s not going to do anything. Why should he? He doesn’t care about us."

The latest wave of protests in Iran began in late December, sparked by economic pressures such as the sharp fall of the rial, rising prices and financial mismanagement that made basic goods increasingly unaffordable.

What started as demonstrations over economic grievances soon expanded into demands for political reform and changes to the government. Later in January, calls from Iran’s exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi and other opposition groups were followed by nationwide protests involving millions of people.

News world ‘He Fooled Us’: Iranian Protesters Accuse Trump Of Betraying Them After Raising Hopes Of Support

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