UPDATE 1-Trump says Iran is killing thousands for protesting

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Iran was killing thousands of people for protesting and urged the world to take more notice.

Disturbances in Iran began in mid-November over gasoline price hikes but quickly turned political, with demonstrators demanding the removal of the top leaders of the country in the bloodiest anti-government protests since the 1979 Islamic revolution. "Iran is killing perhaps thousands and thousands of people right now as we speak, that is why they cut off the internet so people can't see what is going on," Trump said during a visit to London for a NATO Summit.

"Not just small numbers which are bad, big numbers which are really bad, and really big numbers ... It is a terrible thing and the world has to be watching."