As Iran returned to an uneasy calm after weeks of unrest and a brutal crackdown, reports emerging from the tightly controlled clerical regime suggest that anywhere between 3,000 and 16,000 protesters may have been killed. Many Iranians, however, say the blame does not rest solely with their own government, they are also holding US President Donald Trump responsible. As protests spread across cities and towns, Trump's public statements raised expectations that would later prove devastating. The US President openly encouraged Iranian protesters, issued warnings to Tehran, and declared on social media that "help is on its way." He further warned that the United States was "locked and loaded" should peaceful demonstrators be harmed. Thinking that they were backed by Washington, protests surged on the streets.
