(This article is part of the View From India newsletter curated by The Hindu’s foreign affairs experts. To get the newsletter in your inbox every Monday, subscribe here.)
In early January, after protests broke out in Iran, President Donald Trump said the U.S. was “locked and loaded” to respond if Iran killed protesters. On January 8 and 9, Iran cracked down on the unrest. Iranian authorities say “rioters and domestic terrorists” used force against both peaceful protesters and security personnel and that at least 3,000 people were killed in the ensuing violence. According to Iran-focused organisations in the West, at least 6,000 people were killed, mostly protesters. After the crackdown, Mr. Trump said “help is on the way” and urged the protesters to take over institutions. But as protests died down in Iran, Mr. Trump opened a diplomatic channel with Tehran while bolstering America’s military presence in the region.
