Trump Indicates Potential Military Intervention As Iran Protest Death Toll Rises
President Donald Trump considers using force as protests in Iran get more intense, with rights groups claiming hundreds have been killed in an expanding crackdown.
President Donald Trump considers using force as protests in Iran get more intense, with rights groups claiming hundreds have been killed in an expanding crackdown.
With the anti-government protests in Iran entering their third week and allegations of widespread casualties growing, President Donald Trump says the United States is exploring “very strong” military options.
Iran’s currency collapse in late December set off the turmoil, which has grown into a national challenge to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s power. Despite an escalating crackdown by security forces, protests are spreading throughout major cities.
According to US-based Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRANA), they have confirmed that 48 security forces personnel and about 500 protestors had died, but sources told the BBC that the actual number may be much higher. Additionally, HRANA notes that since the protests started, over 10,600 individuals have been arrested.
In his remarks on Sunday, Trump claimed that Iranian officials had contacted him to discuss a deal, but he also issued a warning that Washington might take action before the meeting even happens. Although a US official stated that Trump had been informed on possible strike scenarios, he did not specify the nature of the military options under consideration.
According to authorities quoted by the Wall Street Journal, more sanctions, cyber operations against Iranian military installations, and initiatives to spread anti-government messages online are among the other actions allegedly being discussed.
The Iranian government has labeled the protesters “vandals” and charged Israel and the United States with inciting unrest. While encouraging supporters to attend pro-government rallies, the administration has announced three days of mourning for those it said were “martyrs” slain in a “national battle” against international foes.
Iranian sources reported that while protests persisted on Sunday night, they seemed to have subsided due to growing concern of mass arrests and the use of deadly force. There were rows of wrapped corpses waiting to be identified in video from a morgue close to Tehran, and witnesses reported streets “full of blood” and bodies being taken away in trucks.
Drones have reportedly been used to track and identify demonstrators above residential areas, according to multiple reports. According to reports, authorities removed bloodstains, charred cars, and debris during the night, and some dead were purportedly buried before morning in order to reduce paperwork.
A near-complete internet blackout has been enforced by the Iranian government, severely limiting access to even the internal intranet. Locals reported that they can’t send SMS messages and are only getting official state warnings. Despite concerns that these connections could be tracked, some people are depending on satellite services like Starlink.
Regarding the restoration of internet service in Iran, Trump stated he will talk to Elon Musk, whose business SpaceX runs Starlink.
Mahsa Amini’s death in the custody of the morality police in 2022 sparked the most widespread uproar since the demonstrations. Iran’s attorney general has threatened to treat demonstrators as “enemies of God,” a crime that carries a sentence of death.
Iran’s parliament speaker, meanwhile, warned the United States against “miscalculation,” saying that any American strike would legitimately target Israeli and American military installations in the area.
The son of Iran’s former shah, Reza Pahlavi, who is currently in exile, stated that the protests had “shook the foundations” of the Islamic Republic and that the increasing number of shootings against civilians was a sign of fear rather than strength among the leaders.
