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President Trump has been briefed in recent days on new options for military strikes in Iran as he considers following through on his threat to attack the country for cracking down on protesters, according to multiple U.S. officials familiar with the matter.
Mr. Trump has not made a final decision, but the officials said he was seriously considering authorizing a strike in response to the Iranian regime’s efforts to suppress demonstrations set off by widespread economic grievances. The president has been presented with a range of options, including strikes on nonmilitary sites in Tehran, the people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential conversations.
Asked about planning for potential strikes, the White House referred to Mr. Trump’s public comments and social media posts in recent days.
“Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before,” Mr. Trump wrote on social media on Saturday. “The USA stands ready to help!!!”
The demonstrations in Iran began in late December in response to a currency crisis, but they have since spread and grown in size as many Iranians have called for wholesale changes to the country’s authoritarian government. Iranian officials have threatened to crack down on the demonstrations, and dozens of protesters have been killed, according to human rights groups.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on Friday that the government would “not back down” in the face of large-scale protests.
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