President Trump has been briefed on fresh options, including military operations, that the US could take against Iran in support of the protests there that have stretched into a second week. Advisers have presented possibilities including striking nonmilitary targets in Tehran and elements of government security forces accused of using force against demonstrators, the New York Times reports. US officials said Trump is seriously considering a response if the crackdown intensifies, in keeping with his public statements that include a weekend post saying, "the USA stands ready to help" the protesters. On Friday, he said, "We'll be hitting them very hard" if the government kills demonstrators on a large scale.
If Trump does order a military response, the speaker of Iran's parliament speaker warned Sunday that the country would consider the US military and Israel to be "legitimate targets." Protesters returned to the streets on Sunday morning, per the AP. Activists estimate the death toll during the protests to be at least 203 people but suggest it could be much higher; the internet and phone outages make determinations difficult. Among the US options are cyberattacks that could hamper the government's capability for blocking internet access, per the Washington Post. The US also could take steps such as announcing that an aircraft carrier strike group is heading to the region, per Axios.
Any US action would need to avoid rallying Iranians around their government or exposing American troops and diplomats in the region to reprisals, senior officials said. American commanders want more time to bolster defenses in the region before any strike takes place, a military official said. Since the start of his second term, Trump has authorized strikes in Iran, Venezuela, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, and Nigeria, building on a record that includes the 2020 drone killing of Iranian Gen. Qassim Suleimani in Baghdad.
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