Are we getting closer to President Trump taking some kind of action to help the people of Iran? The audible support is increasing, but does that mean anything?

And when exactly will President Trump act? After talking about “red lines” and getting the mullahs to talk on Sunday, the president has now sent out a message via Truth Social to the people of Iran.

Donald J. Trump Truth Social Post 09:43 AM EST 01.13.26 pic.twitter.com/XlrzLV5ddk

— Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) January 13, 2026

It’s a very tall order to tell the Iranian people to “take over their institutions,” but it will have to be done by the people. The problem is that the regime still has an iron grip, and until there is a marked outside influence on events, it is going to be very difficult for the people to seize any kind of power. The people are still accessing Starlink, despite the regime’s best efforts to crack down on internet use and lack of terminals. An Iranian official has now admitted that the number of dead now is estimated to be 2000 people, but includes “security personnel” in that number. But now the regime is reportedly turning to one of its tried-and-true methods – execution. And this time, it will be summary public execution for opposing the mullahs.

Erfan Soltani, 26, is allegedly scheduled to be hanged to death after his arrest during the protests in Karaj last Thursday, the Iran Human Rights (IHR) and National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFD) NGO groups said.

“His family was told that he had been sentenced to death and that the sentence is due to be carried out on 14 January,” the IHR said.

For those of you keeping score at home, that is six days between arrest and execution.

The NUFD, which is calling for international support to stop Soltani’s hanging, added that the man’s “only crime is calling for freedom for Iran.”

Soltani is allegedly unable to seek legal advice to defend himself.

The protester is being charged with “waging war against God,” a crime punishable by death in Iran, The US Sun reported.

Soltani’s alleged execution orders have yet to be independently verified amid the nationwide communications blackout in Iran.

The 26-year-old is among the more than 10,000 people reportedly incarcerated by the regime in the last two weeks for taking part in the anti-government protests sparked by Iran’s failing economy.

Reportedly, Soltani has gotten all the mercy from the regime that he can expect to receive.

The young Iranian protester who is allegedly set to be executed on Wednesday for taking part in the anti-government demonstrations against the Islamic Republic was given only 10 minutes to say goodbye to his family, according to a haunting new report.

Erfan Soltani, 26, was given just a brief moment to see his family after being arrested during a protest on Jan. 8, with security officials telling the relatives that it would be their final farewell before he faces the hangman, IranWire reported.

Soltani, who is believed to be the first of the detained protesters scheduled for death, was also denied access to a lawyer or trial, according to the Iran Human Rights (IHR) NGO group.

“Even a close relative who is a lawyer tried to take on the case but was blocked and threatened by security agents,” a source close to the family told IranWire.

“They told him, ‘There is no file to review. We announced that anyone arrested in the protests would be executed,’” the source added.

Soltani’s family has also allegedly been threatened with arrests if they try to speak out publicly about the case or contact the media, according to the local outlet.

By the time President Trump chooses to act, it will be too late for Erfan Soltani. But how many more like him will be murdered while they wait for whatever “help” is being offered?

Why isn’t this the front page of the New York Times? pic.twitter.com/jhmAbhnZL1

— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) January 13, 2026

How much longer can the Iranian people be willing to take to the streets without a physical sign of help? From his current comments, it seems that Trump wants a confirmed number of dead before he makes a decision.

Reporter: How many protesters have been killed in Iran?

Trump: Nobody has been able to give me an accurate number. Everything is a lot. One is a lot. We will probably find out in the next 24 hours. I think it is a lot. pic.twitter.com/fvVVVbZWrK

— Clash Report (@clashreport) January 13, 2026

Mr. President, it’s probably safe to assume that whatever number you have in your mind as the “red line” has been spectacularly vaulted over by the ayatollah. The question now becomes, what are you prepared to do? Dr. Rebecca Grant, vice president of the Lexington Institute think tank, has come up with three options that would hurt the regime and give a morale boost to the protesters.

1. Missile production
Iran is still building ballistic missiles and importing solid rocket fuel precursors such as sodium perchlorate from China. The CIA’s map shows more than two dozen above- and below-ground sites across Iran linked to testing, development, production and storage of missiles. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu let it be known in late December that Iran was trying to rebuild its missile stocks and air defenses. He probably shared more details during his visit with Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Dec. 30. Iran expended hundreds of missiles in strikes on Israel in 2024-25 and wants to get back the ability to target Israel with big salvos. That would be bad.

2. Space launch facilities
Iran has over 30 satellites in orbit and Russia just launched three more for them in December. That’s the last thing we need; rogue Iranian satellites. Worse, Iran’s space launch rockets are easy to repurpose as attack missiles. Iran popped an undeclared ballistic missile out of their Iman Khomenei spaceport back in September. That’s in violation of U.N. sanctions, by the way. It wouldn’t surprise me if their new launch facility under construction at Chabahar is also on the watch list.

3. Drone factories
Iran’s infamous drones used to hit Ukraine are made by Shahed Aviation Industries, run in part by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. Don’t forget that the IRGC is also a big business operation. The IRGC funds terrorism, so their drone business is a legitimate military target. Too bad the drone factory Iran set up in Russia won’t be on this list.

Any options briefed to the president will come with extensive evaluation of ways to prevent collateral damage or inadvertent civilian deaths. The aim, after all, is pressure on the regime.

The regime is not going to stop killing until they can bring the population back under their heel. They don’t care how many people die. On the other hand, President Trump DOES care about people dying. We’ve already seen what the United States can do to cripple Iran. It’s time to start staging to do so again. The Iranian people are still going to have to struggle and suffer and fight and die to get rid of a dictatorship that has oppressed them for over 40 years. But if the United States authorizes a strike on military targets, it could go a long way toward weakening the regime and encouraging the protesters. Otherwise, there will be a lot more Erfan Soltanis.

Featured image: President Donald Trump on September 23, 2025, official White House Photo by Daniel Torok, cropped, public domain