US President Donald Trump stated on Sunday (local time) that the Islamic Republic appears to be crossing a "red line" set by his administration amid the massive protests across several provinces in Iran, which had reportedly killed over 500 people.
The reports of the killings, which were primarily of protestors, prompted Washington to consider what he described as "very strong options." Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump responded, "They're starting to, it looks like," when asked if Iran had crossed the red line he had drawn on the treatment of protesters.
The US President said, "Those in power were ruling through violence," alluding to the ongoing protests in the Islamic Republic.
He emphasized that the highest echelons of the US government were keeping a careful eye on the situation. "It appears that some people are being killed who shouldn't be.
We're taking this very seriously, but these people are aggressive. If you call them leaders, I'm not sure if they are leaders or if they simply use violence to control. The military is investigating it. "We'll make a decision; we're looking at some very strong options," Trump said.
According to a New York Times report, Trump was briefed on a variety of military options aimed at Iran, but he did not go into detail about the precise measures Washington may take.
The source claims that Trump was given the choice to launch targeted attacks on specific locations in Tehran, including non-military infrastructure connected to the regime's internal security system.
The briefings are reportedly a component of the administration's contingency planning as it assesses military, diplomatic, and economic strategies to prevent Iranian authorities from using more violence.
Trump had earlier stated that the US is prepared to assist the Middle Eastern nation, which is viewing "Freedom" in a way never seen before. Trump stated, "Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before," in a post on Truth Social.
The United States of America is prepared to assist! Iran has been coping with major unrest and protests against rising prices and economic hardship in a number of provinces for the past fifteen days. Violent altercations between demonstrators and security personnel have quickly turned the protests into tense countrywide unrest.
The Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) press wing claims that at least 544 individuals were killed during the anti-government protests, and numerous other cases are currently being looked into.
Additionally, according to HRA, protests have been reported in 585 locations countrywide, encompassing 186 cities across all 31 provinces, and over 10,681 people have been arrested and moved to prisons. Authorities used force, crackdowns, and arrests in response to the protests, which started on December 28 and spread to several locations.
In addition to endorsing Trump, US Senator Lindsey Graham declared that the "nation's nightmare will soon be coming to an end." "Obama is not President Trump. For the long suffering Iranian people, freedom now means freedom forever.
I think the nightmare facing your country will soon come to an end. In a post on X, Graham wrote, "Make Iran Great Again." In the meantime, internet services have been unavailable in the Islamic Republic for the last two days.
When asked if his administration is thinking about allowing internet access in Iran, including through Elon Musk's Starlink service, Trump replied that talks were in progress but no decision had been made. "We're going to discuss that. We might start the internet. I'm going to give Elon Musk a call so we can talk to him," the US president stated.
