Iran in midst of humanitarian crisis ‘of epic proportions,’ says Trump

President Trump says Iranian regime is continuing to kill dissidents as the country faces what he dubbed a humanitarian crisis of “epic proportions.”

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

President Donald Trump on Tuesday accused Iran’s government of failing to pay large segments of its armed forces while continuing a deadly crackdown against its own population, declaring that the country’s worsening humanitarian crisis “must be stopped, NOW.”

Trump issued the warning in a Truth Social post amid mounting signs of severe economic distress inside Iran and just one day after his administration formally launched a sweeping new campaign aimed at cutting Tehran off from its remaining sources of revenue.

“The failing Islamic Republic of Iran is not paying large segments of their military, while at the same time killing protesters, even when they are not protesting, at levels not seen before,” Trump wrote.

“It is a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions, and must be stopped, NOW.”

Trump did not elaborate on what action he believes should be taken to stop the crisis. His remarks, however, closely followed comments by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent specifically urging unpaid Iranian soldiers to question their loyalty to the government.

Bessent on Monday unveiled “Operation Economic Outcast,” a dramatically expanded US sanctions campaign intended to sever Iran’s remaining financial and commercial connections to the outside world.

The Treasury secretary directly addressed members of Iran’s security forces while announcing the initiative, pointing to reports of delayed military salaries.

“As more of your paychecks stop or are just delayed, ask where your commanders are leading your country, to triumph or to ruin,” Bessent said.

Bessent invoked the collapse of communist East Germany, noting that the Berlin Wall fell after ordinary soldiers ultimately declined to fire on their own people.

His remarks suggested that Washington’s economic strategy is aimed not only at depriving Tehran of revenue but also at undermining the loyalty of the security apparatus on which the Islamic Republic depends.

There have been signs of problems with salary payments inside Iran, although Trump’s specific claim that “large segments” of the military are currently unpaid has not been independently verified.

In April, Iran International reported that a disruption at state-owned Bank Sepah had prevented salaries from being paid to members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other military personnel. More recently, Iranian workers in mining, industrial and municipal sectors have reported delays ranging from several weeks to months in receiving their wages.

Iranian state-linked media, however, reported last month that salaries for approximately five million government and military employees and retirees had been fully paid for the Iranian month ending in late July.

Trump had already claimed earlier this month that Iran’s remaining soldiers were going unpaid, writing in an Aug. 18 Truth Social post that Tehran had “No Money” and that the country was “shot.”

The financial pressure has intensified as Iran struggles with the combined effects of war, sanctions, lost trade and the US naval blockade.

The Iranian rial fell to a record low of approximately 2.02 million to the dollar on Monday, while inflation has reached roughly 66%.

Food prices were up 128% year-over-year in July, according to figures cited by Reuters. Iranian officials are reportedly increasingly concerned that deteriorating living conditions could trigger another major wave of domestic unrest.

Ordinary Iranians have reported cutting back on basic food purchases as wages fail to keep pace with rapidly rising prices. The country’s economy is expected to contract by more than 5%, while inflation could approach 70%, according to forecasts cited by the Associated Press.

The deteriorating economic situation follows the massive anti-government uprising that erupted in late December 2025 and spread across Iran in January.

The demonstrations began amid anger over economic conditions before developing into a broader challenge to the Islamic Republic.

Iranian security forces, including the IRGC and Basij militia, responded with gunfire, arrests and other forms of repression. Human Rights Watch has described the response as involving “mass killings of protesters.”

Human rights organizations have also reported an intensifying campaign against those accused of participating in the protests.

The Center for Human Rights in Iran reported this month that dozens of protesters have been subjected to group prosecutions in Revolutionary Courts, with multiple defendants receiving death sentences following proceedings the organization says lacked basic due-process protections.

The group said defendants have been denied meaningful access to independent lawyers and subjected to torture or coercion to produce confessions.

Trump’s reference to Iran killing protesters “even when they are not protesting” appeared to point to the continuing executions and prosecutions taking place months after the height of the demonstrations.

His latest intervention also comes as Washington shifts increasingly toward economic pressure after nearly six months of conflict with Iran.

The Trump administration has pledged to target Iranian oil exports, banking, shipping, aviation, metals, cryptocurrency networks and other sources of revenue, while threatening secondary sanctions against foreign companies and governments that continue facilitating Iranian commerce.

The administration’s stated objective is to force Tehran into increasingly severe economic isolation while creating pressure inside the Iranian political and security establishment.

Iran has publicly dismissed the strategy.

IRGC spokesman Brig. Gen. Hossein Mohebbi said Sunday that Washington’s decision to intensify economic warfare demonstrated the failure of its military campaign.

“We have scenarios to counter the adverse effects of the enemy’s war and can easily establish economic relations with countries,” Mohebbi said, claiming Tehran would continue circumventing American restrictions.

The growing economic pressure nevertheless appears to be causing concern at the highest levels of Iran’s government.

President Masoud Pezeshkian and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf have both recently called for an end to the conflict and greater attention to the country’s deteriorating economy, even as hardliners continue to advocate confrontation with Washington.

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