President Donald Trump's embrace of anti-government
protesters in
Iran is another departure from his predecessors, who feared such overt support could backfire and inadvertently help hard-liners in the Islamic Republic.
Trump has tweeted repeatedly in recent days in support of protesters who surged into the streets in anger over the apparently accidental downing of a Ukrainian jetliner and their government's initial attempt to conceal its role in the disaster.
Previous administrations have sought to keep some distance between
Washington and demonstrators opposed to Iran’s Islamic leadership.