Trump says Iran appears to have crossed their ‘red line’
“It looks like they’re starting to,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, when asked if Iran was crossing the red line it drew on its treatment of protesters.
Referring to the ongoing protests in the Islamic Republic, the US President added that those in power rule through violence.
He emphasized that the situation is being closely monitored at the highest levels of the US government.
“It looks like some people were killed who shouldn’t have been killed. They’re violent – if you call them leaders, I don’t know if they’re leaders or if they just rule through violence – but we’re looking at this very seriously. The military is looking at it. We’re looking at some very strong options; we’ll come to a decision,” Trump said.
The US President did not elaborate on specific actions Washington might take, but according to the New York Times, Trump has been briefed on a range of military options targeting Iran.
According to the report, the options presented to Trump include targeted attacks on specific areas in Tehran, including non-military infrastructures linked to the regime’s internal security apparatus. The briefings are said to be part of the contingency plan as the administration considers diplomatic, economic and military tools to deter further violence by Iranian officials. Earlier, Trump said that the United States is ready to help the Middle Eastern country that views “Freedom” like never before.
In his post on Truth Social, Trump said, “Iran is looking at FREEDOM perhaps like never before. USA is ready to help!!!”
For the last 15 days, Iran has been struggling with violent unrest and protests in various provinces of the country against rising inflation and economic difficulties.
The protests quickly turned into tense unrest across the country, with violent clashes between protesters and security forces.
According to the press wing of Human Rights Activists (HRA) in Iran, at least 544 people were reported to have died in anti-government demonstrations, while dozens of cases are under investigation.
Additionally, according to IHD, while demonstrations were held in 585 locations across the country, covering 186 provinces of 31 provinces, more than 10,681 people were detained and transferred to prisons.
The protests began on December 28, when demonstrations spread to many cities and authorities responded with arrests, crackdowns, and the use of force.
US Senator Lindsey Graham also expressed his support for Trump and stated that “the nation’s nightmare will soon be over.”
“President Trump is not Obama. Freedom now, freedom forever for the long-suffering people of Iran. I believe your country’s nightmare will soon be over. Make Iran Great Again,” Graham said in a post on X.
Meanwhile, internet services in the Islamic Republic have been down for the past two days, and when Trump was asked whether his administration was considering the possibility of enabling internet access in Iran, including Elon Musk’s Starlink service, he said talks were ongoing; but no final decision has been made.
The US President said, “We will talk about it. We can make the Internet work. We can talk to Elon Musk; I will call him.”
