by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
(Worthy News) – U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States attempted to provide weapons to Iranian protesters earlier this year, but the effort may have failed after Kurdish groups allegedly kept the arms for themselves.
In an interview with Fox News correspondent Trey Yingst on April 5, Trump also claimed that Iran’s regime killed as many as 45,000 civilians during widespread anti-government protests.
The remarks come amid escalating reports of executions and human rights abuses by the Iranian government. According to the opposition group People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, six individuals were executed within a single week—two on April 4 and four more on March 30 and 31—following months of alleged torture.
The group said the executions are part of a broader campaign to suppress dissent, warning that Tehran is seeking to “physically eliminate” organized opposition while instilling fear across the population.
International watchdog Amnesty International reported that the protests, which began in late December, were fueled by economic hardship, inflation, and longstanding grievances over government repression. The organization accused Iranian security forces of using excessive and often lethal force, including firing weapons at protesters’ heads and torsos and carrying out mass killings.
Amnesty also warned of an intensifying crackdown, citing orders from Iran’s judiciary to expedite trials and show “no leniency” toward demonstrators, raising fears of further executions.
Human rights monitors say at least 160 prisoners have been executed in Iran during the first three months of 2026 alone, underscoring the severity of the regime’s response to unrest.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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