U.S. Vice President JD Vance is set to chair a high-level national security meeting Tuesday afternoon as the situation in Iran grows increasingly volatile amid sustained nationwide demonstrations and mounting casualties, according to Anadolu.
According to a source familiar with the matter, Vance will convene the principals of the National Security Council at 4 p.m. Eastern Time to assess the rapidly unfolding developments. It remains unclear whether President Donald Trump will participate directly in the meeting, though he could join remotely from Air Force One as he returns to Washington from Detroit, where he delivered remarks focused largely on domestic economic issues.
The emergency session comes as the White House intensifies its rhetoric toward Tehran. Earlier in the day, Trump publicly urged Iranian protesters to maintain pressure on the government, signaling U.S. sympathy with the demonstrators while stopping short of outlining concrete assistance.
“Iranian Patriots, keep protesting, take over your institutions,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, calling on demonstrators to document abuses by authorities. He added that all meetings with Iranian officials had been canceled “until the senseless killing of protesters stops,” concluding with “MIGA,” a reworking of his signature political slogan directed at Iran.
When pressed by reporters for clarification on what form U.S. support might take, Trump offered little detail. “You’re gonna have to figure that one out,” he said, declining to elaborate.
Iran has been shaken by weeks of widespread unrest fueled by a collapsing economy, soaring prices, and the rapid depreciation of the national currency, the rial. Demonstrations have erupted across major cities and provincial towns, drawing a forceful response from security services.
The Human Rights Activists News Agency, a U.S.-based monitoring group, estimates that at least 646 people have been killed in the unrest, including protesters and members of the security forces, with more than 1,000 others injured. Iranian authorities have not released comprehensive casualty figures.
As Washington weighs its next steps, the meeting chaired by Vance underscores the growing concern within the U.S. administration that Iran’s internal crisis may carry significant regional and international consequences.
