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Iranian government official joins opposition, calls for US to intervene

Iranian protesters are “waiting for Trump,” says government official who defected to the opposition, adding that if Trump fails to act on behalf of dissidents, the protesters will turn on him.

By World Israel News Staff

An Iranian government official has defected from the regime and joined dissident protesters, publicly calling on the US to intervene on behalf of the protest movement.

On Tuesday, the London-based, pro-opposition Iran International published a voice message recorded two days earlier by an official in Tehran’s Interior Ministry.

The official, whose identity has been withheld for his safety, sent the message after speaking by phone with Iran’s exiled crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, who convinced him to defect.

The man said he has taken part in several demonstrations recently and personally witnessed the use of live fire by pro-regime forces against protesters.

Lamenting that the violent government crackdown on the protests has so far been effective, the official called on President Donald Trump to order American forces to intervene.

“The Islamic Republic is ruthless and will do anything,” the official said, claiming that pro-regime security personnel have fired assault rifles at civilians, deployed armored vehicles in major cities and have motorcycle units patrolling the streets.

He warned that should the US refuse to act, Trump will lose the support of Iranian protesters.

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“The people really can’t do anything more,” the official continued. “They have done everything they can and made their demands clear – what they want and what they don’t want.”

“Now, everyone is waiting for Trump. And if Trump doesn’t do anything, widespread hatred toward him will emerge among Iranians.”

“People are impatient and, honestly, everyone is deeply upset. The city [Tehran] is quiet. Shops are open only sporadically.”

Without support against the regime, the official predicted, “nothing can be done” by the protest movement.

“They [pro-regime forces] fire machine guns and mercilessly mow everyone down with gunfire.”