PRESS RELEASE: After Backing Iran Protesters, Trump Must Now Act, Says JINSA’s Makovsky

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 13, 2026
Contact: Blake Johnson
bjohnson@jinsa.org

Washington, DC – The following is a statement from Michael Makovsky, President and CEO of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, on the ongoing nationwide protests in Iran and President Donald Trump public support for the protesters:

“The vile, anti-American regime in Tehran has reportedly killed, wounded, and imprisoned thousands of its own people—and, if left unchecked, will kill many more. President Trump deserves a great deal of credit for publicly supporting this uprising after his predecessors remained silent during previous mass anti-regime protests.

“Although Iran’s future will be decided by its people, the United States can—and, to maintain credibility given President Trump’s public commitments, must—help the Iranian people bring down the regime.

“To do so, President Trump should clarify—as I have long argued—that U.S. policy is the collapse of the Tehran regime and that he will take no actions that prolong its credibility or survival.

“The president also needs to make good on his threats by ordering strikes on core regime enforcers, including IRGC and Basij targets. Even if such strikes do not directly determine Iran’s internal trajectory, they would ensure U.S. credibility. Additional options include supplying weapons to anti-regime forces, imposing a quarantine on Iranian oil exports, disrupting regime communications via cyber operations, and encouraging regime officials to defect.

“The time is now for America to support the Iranian people in bringing down this venal Tehran regime.”

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