What’s happening in Iran? Trump threatens military action, thousands feared dead
President Donald Trump is threatening military action in Iran – including airstrikes – to stop a brutal crackdown on antigovernment protests that has killed nearly 2,600 people.
Iranian officials said Jan. 12 that the country is prepared for war but also open to dialogue with the United States.
Trump is expected to review options for Iran with senior advisers Jan. 13. Possibilities include military strikes, cyber attacks and increased sanctions, according to The Wall Street Journal.
"The military is looking at it, and we're looking at some very strong options," Trump told reporters traveling on Air Force One Jan 11.
"Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!... HELP IS ON ITS WAY," Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Jan. 13.
What's going on in Iran?
Protests against the Islamic Republic's clerical establishment began Dec. 28 and focused on soaring prices and collapse of the rial, the Iranian currency. Criticism expanded to the theocratic regime itself, which has accused the United States of trying to destabilize the country.
Over the past 17 days, observers have witnessed protests at 614 sites, including 45 universities across 111 cities in all 31 provinces,according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency.
The agency said 2,571 people have been killed since the protests started 17 days ago. That includes 2,403 protesters, 12 children, 9 adults who were not protesting, and 147 security force members and government supporters.
Security personnel were from the Law Enforcement Command, Basij Resistance Force, and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to the Institute for the Study of War.
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On Jan. 12, Trump announced 25% import tariffs on products from any country doing business with Iran, which is a major oil exporter.
U.S. think tanks the American Enterprise Institute's Critical Threats Project and the Institute for the Study of War (CTP-ISW) publish reports on Iran regularly, and assign confidence levels for each protest which you can learn more about here.
The maps in this story show all events, including those assigned high, medium, and low confidence. According to ISW, the number of protests in Tehran City is likely higher than shown here because an internet shutdown is limiting access to footage.
Protests charted across Tehran City
The protests are the largest challenge to Iran’s clerical rule since 2022, USA TODAY reported. Human rights and international monitoring groups have tracked protests across Iran’s major cities and in dozens of towns across all provinces.
Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, said Iran is willing to negotiate with the United States. Trump told reporters Jan. 11 that a meeting was being set up.
Iran has not provided official figures on deaths or the number of protests. A government-imposed internet blackout has cut off much communication with people inside the country since Jan. 8, impeding the flow of information.
How Iran's government is structured
Trump has intervened or threatened to intervene in other nations since entering his second term in office, including Iran, Greenland, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen.
CONTRIBUTING Kathryn Palmer, Dan Morrison, and Shawn J. Sullivan.
SOURCE USA TODAY Network reporting and research; Reuters; Human Rights Activists News Agency; Institute for the Study of War; understandingwar.org; iranhumanrights.org
This is a developing story which may be updated.