Newscast – “Trump Tells Iran Protestors ‘HELP IS ON ITS WAY’”
BBC News | January 13, 2026
Hosts: Adam Fleming, Katrina Manson
Guest: Sivash Ardalan (Senior Reporter, BBC World/BBC Persian)
Episode Overview
This episode of Newscast focuses on Iran's erupting protests, the repressive government response, and U.S. President Donald Trump's provocative statements, including his viral "HELP IS ON ITS WAY" post. The discussion explores how information reaches the outside world despite Iran's blackout, the U.S. policy shift, the motives and risks for protesters, and the geopolitical reverberations, capped with a brief update on the U.S., Denmark, and Greenland’s tense relations.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Reporting from Inside Iran under Blackout
- Information flow is severely limited:
- Iran is experiencing a near-complete internet blackout; only sporadic snippets come through via SMS and videos smuggled out using Starlink satellite links (02:36).
- Verification work:
- BBC Persian’s team is “very busy” triangulating and authenticating scarce information, emphasizing the dangers and resource limitations for protesters vs. regime supporters (03:21).
Sivash Ardalan [02:36]: “We are getting very few snippets… in the form of SMS messages from people who have Starlink receptors… and just a few videos… through either Starlink or other means, which just portrays the kind of climate that’s prevailing over Iran today.”
2. The Protest Landscape: Government vs. Protesters
- Regime Counter-Demonstrations:
- After quelling protests by force, Iranian authorities organize large, televised rallies via regime supporters to project control (04:21).
- Even among regime supporters, dissatisfaction is common over inflation and corruption (04:59).
Sivash Ardalan [04:59]: “Even those pro-government supporters that you see coming out… might even agree with some of the protesters on issues like inflation, corruption and so on.”
- Intense polarization:
- Nuanced public sentiment is lost amid polarizing labels, with the government smearing protesters as "armed terrorists trained by the CIA and Mossad" (05:41).
- The government claims “a lot of people died, but they were our people… killed by the protesters” (08:40).
3. Massacre and Crackdown on the Protests
- Protest surge & violent suppression:
- Massive, cross-generational protests peaked on Thursday and Friday, with hopes for reform or regime fragility (06:20).
- After initial government restraint, a brutal crackdown followed—described as a massacre, with death tolls ranging from 2,000 (the government's own figure) up to 20,000 (activists' estimates) (07:38).
Sivash Ardalan [07:38]: “I don't use the term massacre lightly… Human rights organizations… now have put the number of dead at 2,000, but we think it’s even more… Scenes that were reminiscent of the Syrian civil war or something that went on in Gaza.”
4. Trump’s Statement and U.S. Response
- Trump's "HELP IS ON ITS WAY" post:
- On Truth Social, Trump urged protesters to “keep protesting” and vaguely promised assistance, but exact plans remain unclear (09:05).
- He also claimed to have canceled meetings with Iranian officials—though it’s unknown which, if any, meetings existed (09:05).
Katrina Manson [09:05]: “A lot of people pouring over just what the president said… ‘Help is on its way. Make Iran great again.’ … Just what does that mean? Is that some kind of military incursion? Is it airstrikes? Drone strikes?... We’re in the dark, just as many in Iran are…”
- White House debate:
- Internal U.S. discussions are split, with diplomatic vs. military options on the table (11:30).
- New tariffs were announced on Iran's trading partners, but details remain “foggy”—actual policy status unclear (12:08).
Katrina Manson [12:08]: “[Trump] announced… 25% tariffs on anyone who does business with Iran and then… with the U.S., but we haven’t been able to get any further details…”
5. Who Are the “Patriots”?
- Trump's phrasing is ambiguous:
- “Patriots” could refer to any anti-government demonstrators, or, more specifically, to monarchist sympathizers backing Reza Pahlavi (the Shah’s son), who is supported by some right-wing protesters (13:24).
6. Feasibility and Timing of U.S. Support
- Trump’s exhortation to “take over your institutions” is divorced from reality:
- Protests already have been crushed, and government repression is at its peak. For many, going outside is “risk[ing] their lives” (15:07).
Sivash Ardalan [15:50]: “He is saying this when the protests have already been put down. If he wanted it to be effective, he should have said that on Thursday or Friday, not now… There’s the absolute climate of terror and intimidation…”
- U.S. double standards:
- Trump’s record on supporting democracy/human rights is “patchy at best” (15:59).
- Past military interventions, like the strike on Venezuela and Iran nuclear facilities (Operation Midnight Hammer), may be emboldening the administration (18:07).
7. Comparison to Prior Iranian Protests
- The trigger points vary (e.g., inflation, hijab, elections), but protests always morph into anti-regime movements, leading to harsh crackdowns (19:33).
Sivash Ardalan [19:33]: “What brings them together is each time they morph into an anti-regime protest… and that's why it’s always put down.”
8. Inside the Regime: Khamenei’s Role
- Supreme Leader Khamenei is a 40-year dictator with absolute power, now 86; his intransigence is seen as a core cause of Iran’s stagnation and international isolation (20:37).
- Support from Russia and China is limited—diplomatic, not military or strategic; they will not risk global order for Iran (22:40).
- “Allies” like Hezbollah and Hamas are proxies, not states, and have been weakened (23:30).
9. Geopolitical Reverberations
- A “different Iran would be a different world”—leadership change could shift Middle East power dynamics, nuclear stances, and U.S.-Russia-China regional engagement (24:13).
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On info blackout:
- Sivash Ardalan [02:36]: “For the past four days, we’ve had a complete internet blackout… [We’re] starting to build the picture of what has actually happened over the past week.”
- On polarization:
- Sivash Ardalan [05:41]: “There just seems to be no avenue for reconciliation, humiliation, or any kind of understanding for the short-term future.”
- On the massacre:
- Sivash Ardalan [07:38]: “I don’t use the term massacre lightly… piles of body bags over each other and families searching through all these corpses.”
- On Trump’s rhetoric:
- Katrina Manson [09:05]: “We’re in the dark, just as many in Iran are, in terms of what the U.S. is considering at this point as we speak now.”
- On regime repression:
- Sivash Ardalan [15:59]: “There’s the absolute climate of terror and intimidation with paramilitary BCGs, anti-riot police just roaming around the streets.”
- On Khamenei’s lack of flexibility:
- Sivash Ardalan [20:37]: “…his word goes, his word is almost taken, like the word of God… His inflexibility, his getting older… people don’t have any hope.”
Timestamps for Important Segments
- [02:36] – How BBC gets info from Iran during blackout
- [04:21] – How the regime stages counter-protests
- [06:20] – Peak and subsequent crackdown on protests
- [07:38] – Death toll and signs of massacre
- [09:05] – Trump’s “HELP IS ON ITS WAY” post analyzed
- [12:08] – New U.S. tariffs on Iran’s trade partners
- [13:24] – Who does Trump mean by “Iranian patriots”?
- [15:59] – Danger on the streets post-crackdown
- [19:33] – Comparing current and past protests
- [20:37] – Profile of Ayatollah Khamenei
- [22:40] – Role of Russia/China and Iran’s proxies
- [24:13] – How a different Iran would impact world order
Brief Update: U.S. and Greenland Tensions
- Denmark and Greenland will meet with U.S. officials to clarify American intentions amid revived rumors of a U.S. attempt to acquire Greenland (24:52).
- Greenland's PM affirmed: “If we have to choose between the United States and Denmark here and now, we choose Denmark…” (26:15).
- A symbolic nod to “LEGO diplomacy” closes the episode on a lighter note, contrasting sharply with the main content’s gravity.