'They better behave': Donald Trump warns Iranian leadership amid reports of mass killings

US President says he will like to see a 'little bit of freedom' for Iranians and that the Islamic Republic executing its own people will not work out for it

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday warned Iran of consequences if the leadership continues its violent crackdown on protesters, adding that Tehran "better behave".

Trump said the US would review the situation with regards to the killings and alleged executions amid unrest in the country.

At an event in Detroit, Trump told the media that he would like to see a "little bit of freedom" for Iranians.

"Ideally, we would like to see it (democracy). We don't want to see people killed, and we want to see a little bit of freedom for these people. These people have been living in hell for a long time. I have friends who used to invest in Iran, and they did well with their investments. It was a great place. The people were great. Even the leadership was good. And now it is living in hell," he said.

Talking about a possibility of an Iran retaliation in case of US strikes, Trump said, "Yeah, Iran said that the last time I blew them up with the nuclear capability, which they don't have any longer, so they better behave."

Trump also sent out a strong message to the Iranian leadership, saying they have got a problem if they do not show humanity and continue the killings.

"The message is they've got to show humanity. They've got a big problem, and I hope they're not going to be killing people. It would seem to me that they have been badly misbehaving, but that is not confirmed."

In Michigan, Trump said Iran executing their own people would not work out for them.

"When they start killing thousands of people and now you're telling me about hanging [protesters], we'll see how that works out for them. It's not going to work out good."

In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, Trump urged Iranian citizens to continue protesting by taking over institutions, adding that "help is on the way".

Iran unrest death toll

In what has been the biggest anti-government protest in Iran in decades, 2,571 people have reportedly been killed since the beginning of unrest on December 28, 2025. Among those killed include 2,403 protesters and 147 government officials.

The figure was given by the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in multiple rounds of unrest in Iran in recent years.

According to the activist group, 12 children were killed, along with nine civilians who were not taking part in protests. Additionally, more than 18,100 people have been detained.