Donald Trump says he and US military weighing ‘strong options’ on Iran

President Donald Trump said he was weighing a range of responses to escalating unrest in Iran, including possible military options, as massive protests continue to roil the country.The death toll from two weeks of protests has risen to more than 500, the US-based rights group HRANA told Reuters.
Trump said Iran reached out to the US and proposed negotiations after he threatened action in response to a crackdown on protesters in the Middle Eastern country.
Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran. “I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump said. He added, “Iran wants to negotiate.”A report in the Wall Street Journal read thatTrump is scheduled to be briefed by senior officials in his administration on Tuesday (January 13) on specific options to respond to the protests in Iran.

The meeting will be a discussion about possible next steps, including military strikes, deploying secretive cyber weapons against Iranian military and civilian sites, placing more sanctions on Iran’s government, and boosting anti-government sources online, the Journal reported.

Trump posted on social media on Saturday: “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!

On January 11, over 10,670 people were detained in a crackdown on nationwide protests in Iran, Reuters reported.

Meanwhile, Iran’s parliament speaker warned the US military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America strikes the Islamic Republic, as threatened by Trump. Qalibaf made the threat as lawmakers rushed the dais in the Iranian parliament, shouting: “Death to America!”