Saul Takahashi says Trump encourages protests in Iran as sanctions deepen economic hardship
TEHRAN - In an interview with the Tehran Times, Japanese human rights lawyer and academic Saul Takahashi critically examines U.S. and Israeli policies toward Iran amid the unrest that engulfed the country in the first 10 ten days of the current month.
Takahashi, a professor of Human Rights and Peace Studies at Osaka Jogakuin University, denounces Trump’s performative support for Iranian protestors, highlights how sanctions exacerbate civilian suffering, exposes Western media bias in promoting regime-change narratives, and underscores Israel’s double standards on human rights.
Through his incendiary remarks, U.S. President Donald Trump channeled Iran's peaceful protests—initially sparked by economic hardship under U.S.-led sanctions—toward violence and anarchy.
Writing on his Truth Social account on January 2, Trump told protestors that “the United States of America will come” to help you. In the same post, he also openly threatened military attack against Iran, saying, “We are locked and loaded and ready to go.”
Jan. 3, he told protestors, “Stay strong, help is coming!”
On Jan. 13, he provoked the protestors to occupy the government building, saying, "Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!"
Also, in a post on X on Jan 2, Mike Pompeo, the CIA chief and Secretary of State during Trump’s first presidency, confirmed the involvement of Mossad agents among the rioters in Iran. He wrote: “Happy New Year to every Iranian in the streets. Also to every Mossad agent walking beside them.”
During the 12-war against Iran in June 2025, when Israel and the U.S. attacked Iran’s nuclear sites, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Iranians to hold protests to topple the Islamic Republic system.
Takahashi says, “The U.S. and Israel are in many ways a classic example of the drug dealer getting high on his own supply.”
Takahashi, who has served with Amnesty International, also says the U.S. “has absolutely zero credibility” on human rights.
The following is the text of the interview:
Trump openly encouraged Iranians to continue protesting while sanctions remain in place. How can the U.S. credibly claim concern for Iranians while intensifying economic warfare that directly worsens civilian living conditions?
Of course, the U.S. has absolutely zero credibility on this issue.
The notion that the U.S. has any concern for the population of Iran is
belied by its ongoing sanctions regime, its illegal military attack on
the country last year, and its continuing support of illegal Israeli
actions (including bombing of civilian infrastructure and the
assassination of civilians). The U.S. and its Israeli proxy are
interested in one thing: absolute domination in the Middle East and
exploitation of the natural resources of other countries, all enforced
brutally with savage military power. They have no regard whatsoever for
the sovereignty of other countries, or for international law or norms in
general.
Do you see Trump’s remarks as part of a broader information and
psychological warfare strategy aimed at shaping perceptions rather than
outcomes on the ground?
Shaping perceptions may be important, but I think the U.S. and Israel
honestly believed it could steer the situation towards bringing down the
Iranian government. The U.S. and Israel are in many ways a classic
example of the drug dealer getting high on his own supply: they are so
drunk with what they believe to be their omnipotence that they believe
they can bring Iran to heel easily, and when it doesn’t work, they just
get angrier and angrier, and use more brute force.
How have Western media outlets framed the January protests in
Iran, and what key realities or voices do you believe are being
marginalized or excluded?
Most of the Western media have been utterly shameless, acting as
cheerleaders for U.S. and Israel-led regime change in Iran. They were
boosting none other than the son of the former Shah as a serious
political force in Iran, and a viable candidate for leader of a
Western-friendly regime that would be imposed at the barrel of a gun. It
was almost comical how ridiculous it was, at least to anybody with even
a smattering of knowledge of the history of the region. Throughout this
period, pro-monarchy diaspora groups and various CIA-funded NGOs were
granted significant prominence. It was a concerted effort that failed
miserably.
How influential is Israel in shaping Washington’s hardline rhetoric and policies toward Iran during periods of internal unrest?
Israel and the Zionist lobby [obviously these two are closely
connected], of course, wield immense power in U.S. politics, at both the
federal and state levels. Since Trump respects only money and brute
force, he has been in lockstep with Israel throughout his presidency,
both before and now. At the same time, the writing is on the wall: the
American people have seen the true genocidal face of Israel, and support
for the country within the U.S. has plummeted to unprecedented lows.
Even within the MAGA movement as well, there is outrage at the prospect
of more US lives and treasure squandered in wars on Israel’s behalf.
That is exactly why the current repression of pro-Palestinian voices
within the U.S. has been so severe; the Zionists see that they are
fighting a losing battle. It is only a matter of time before there is a
fundamental shift in U.S. policy.
How does Israel’s own treatment of dissent and protest contrast
with its support for U.S. criticism of Iran on human rights pretext?
This is just another example of the blatant double standards at play. Israel cracks down brutally on any dissent throughout Palestine, using severe violence to oppress calls for Palestinian self-determination. The U.S. has been using the same playbook, with regard to pro-Palestinian protests during the Biden era, and now, under Trump, against any kind of opposition to government policy. The notion that either of these countries is a champion of democracy or the right to protest is a sick joke, and frankly, nobody is fooled.
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