Trump weighing ‘very strong options’ for US response on Iran as protest death toll swells
President Donald Trump said Sunday night that the U.S. is considering “very strong options” – with the military reviewing responses – to Iran’s violent crackdown on anti-regime protesters. He warned the regime appears to be crossing his red line by killing demonstrators and said the U.S. “may have to act before a meeting,” while receiving hourly updates on the worsening situation. U.S.-based human rights groups estimate the protest death toll has topped 500 and arrests number in the tens of thousands since demonstrations began in late December. Iran has both reportedly reached out about negotiating a possible nuclear deal and threatened preemptive strikes on nearby U.S. bases if Washington strikes; Trump responded that the U.S.would hit back harder than Iran expects.
Trump weighing ‘very strong options’ for US response on Iran as protest death toll swells
President Donald Trump said on Sunday night that he is considering “very strong options” for a U.S. military response to Iran‘s violent crackdown on anti-regime protesters.
“We’re looking at it very seriously. The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options. We’ll make a determination,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
Trump also revealed that Iran has reached out about negotiating a possible nuclear deal after Trump withdrew the United States from the previous one during his first term. But he stressed that the U.S. “may have to act before a meeting,” adding that the regime is “starting” to cross his red line, where he previously vowed U.S. intervention if they killed protesters.
“They’re starting to [cross it]. It looks like [it]. There seem to be some people killed that aren’t supposed to be killed. … They rule through violence,” he said.
The president added that he is receiving “hourly” reports on the situation, which is worsening.
Multiple U.S-based human rights groups have indicated that the death toll from the protests is now over 500 just two weeks after they began in late December. Arrests also number in the tens of thousands.
IRAN SAYS US AND ISRAEL ‘LEGITIMATE TARGETS’ IF TRUMP ORDERS STRIKES OVER PROTESTS
Iran has previously threatened preemptive strikes on nearby U.S. bases if Trump were to greenlight a military response.
Trump warned on Sunday if that were to happen, the U.S. “will hit them harder than they imagine.”
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