Mali's former president Amadou Toumani Toure dies at 72

Mali’s former president Amadou Toumani Toure has died at the age of 72.

Senegalese President Macky Sall on Tuesday confirmed the death of the former leader on Twitter. Mali’s government hasn’t yet reported the Toure's death, but said it is preparing a statement.

Toure served as Mali’s president from 2002 until March 2012 when he was deposed by a military coup. He then lived in exile in the neighboring West African nation of Senegal until December 2019 when he returned to Mali.

FILE - In this Jan. 11, 2012 file photo, Mali's President Amadou Toumani Toure inspects an honor guard during a ceremonial reception at the Presidential Palace in New Delhi, India. Mali's former president Amadou Toumani Toure, who served as Mali's president from 2002 until March 2012 when he was deposed by a military coup, has died at the age of 72, according to Senegal's President Macky Sall on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020. (AP PhotoPankaj Nangia, File)

Toure died Monday night while he was hospitalized in Turkey, according to a family member who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not yet authorized to speak to the press. The former Malian president had undergone heart surgery in Bamako before being evacuated to Turkey, said the relative.

Born in Mali's central Mopti region in 1948, Toure later became a lieutenant-colonel in Mali's army. He was appointed the head of the transitional committee after a 1991 coup d'etat that deposed former president Moussa Traore and served as the head of state during the transition to democracy. He then became known as the “soldier of democracy.”

Toure then served as a general under Mali's president Alpha Oumar Konare, who was elected in 1992. In 2002, he resigned from the army to run for president and defeated Soumaila Cisse in a second round of votes.

FILE - In this Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2010 file photo, Mali's President Amadou Toumani Toure gives a press conference at the presidential palace after French aid worker Pierre Camatte was released by al-Qaida's North Africa offshoot after nearly three months in captivity, in Bamako, Mali. Mali's former president Amadou Toumani Toure, who served as Mali's president from 2002 until March 2012 when he was deposed by a military coup, has died at the age of 72, according to Senegal's President Macky Sall on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020. (Eric FeferbergPool via AP, File)

FILE - In this Sunday, Dec. 4, 2005 file photo, French President Jacques Chirac, left, and Mali's President Amadou Toumani Toure, right, talk prior to their joint press conference during the 23rd Africa-France summit in Bamako, Mali. Mali's former president Amadou Toumani Toure, who served as Mali's president from 2002 until March 2012 when he was deposed by a military coup, has died at the age of 72, according to Senegal's President Macky Sall on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020. (AP PhotoMichel Euler, File)

FILE - In this Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008 file photo, President Bush, right, meets with Mali's President Amadou Toumani Toure in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. Mali's former president Amadou Toumani Toure, who served as Mali's president from 2002 until March 2012 when he was deposed by a military coup, has died at the age of 72, according to Senegal's President Macky Sall on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020. (AP PhotoPablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Trump said Tuesday he’s canceled talks with Iranian officials amid a protest crackdown, telling Iranian citizens “help is on its way.”

Trump did not offer any details about what the help would entail, but it comes after the Republican president earlier this week said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic that has killed more than 2,000, according to human right monitors.

But Trump with his latest message on social media appeared to make an abrupt shift about his willingness to engage with the Iranian government.

"Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!” Trump wrote in a morning post on Truth Social. “Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price. I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY.”

The U.S. president has repeatedly threatened Tehran with military action if his administration found the Islamic Republic was using deadly force against antigovernment protesters. Trump on Sunday told reporters he believed Iran is “starting to cross” that line and has left him and his national security team weighing “very strong options” even as he said the Iranians had made outreach efforts to the U.S.

But on Monday, the president’s team offered guarded hope that diplomatic solution could be found.

“What you’re hearing publicly from the Iranian regime is quite different from the messages the administration is receiving privately, and I think the president has an interest in exploring those messages,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday. “However, with that said, the president has shown he’s unafraid to use military options if and when he deems necessary, and nobody knows that better than Iran.”

Also on Monday, Trump said he would slap 25% tariffs on countries doing business with Tehran “effective immediately,” but the White House has not provided details on that move. China, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Brazil and Russia are among economies that do business with Tehran.

Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and key White House National Security Council officials began meeting Friday to develop options for Trump, ranging from a diplomatic approach to military strikes.

Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo)

Iranians attend an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo)

President Donald Trump waves after arriving on Air Force One from Florida, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)