Trump says he's weighing military options in Iran amid deadly protests
Joey GarrisonWASHINGTON, DC — President Donald Trump said he's considering military options in Iran and following through on his threat to attack the Iranian regime after anti-government protests in the country have turned increasingly deadly.
"The military is looking at it, and we're looking at some very strong options. We'll make a determination," Trump told reporters Jan. 11 aboard Air Force One as he returned to Washington after spending the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
Protests in Iran, which have entered their third week, have resulted in hundreds of deaths, drawing the condemnation of human rights organizations.
"Well, they’re starting to ‒ it looks like it," Trump said when asked if Iran has crossed a red line. "There seems to be some people killed who weren’t supposed to be killed. These are violent ‒ you can call them leaders, I don’t know if they’re leaders. I guess they rule with violence. But we’re looking at it very seriously."
As of Jan. 11, the Human Rights Activists News Agency estimated over 580 people have been killed since the unrest began, and more than 10,600 people have been detained by authorities.
The protests began in response to Iran's struggling economy amid soaring inflation following years of sanctions from the United States and other nations. In some videos of the demonstrations, protesters can be heard calling for the overthrow of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the return of the exiled son of Iran's last king, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi.
Trump to talk to Elon Musk about restoring Iran's internet
Trump said he plans to speak with billionaire tech entrepreneur and former White House official Elon Musk about helping to restore internet connectivity in Iran as authorities disrupt services during the protests.
"He's very good at that kind of thing. He's got a very good company. So we may speak to Elon Musk. In fact, I'm going to call him as soon as I'm finished with you," Trump said when asked about enlisting Musk's SpaceX, which offers a satellite internet service called Starlink that has been used in Iran.
Tehran threatened to target United States military bases if Trump intervenes militarily in Iran. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned Washington against "a miscalculation."
"Let us be clear: in the case of an attack on Iran, the occupied territories (Israel) as well as all U.S. bases and ships will be our legitimate target," said Qalibaf, a former commander in Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards.
Trump said the United States would retaliate if Iran targets U.S. military bases. "If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they've never been hit before. They won't even believe it. I have options that are so strong," he told reporters.
In a Jan. 2 social media post, Trump vowed the United States would intervene if Iran targets peaceful protests. "If Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go," the president wrote on Truth Social.
Trump has also warned the United States will "knock the hell" out of Iran if it works to rebuild its weapons supply after Israeli and U.S. strikes on Tehran's nuclear and missile programs in June.
Contributing: Kathryn Palmer, USA TODAY; Reuters
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