Monday | 12nd January 2026
President Donald Trump is weighing a range of potential military and non-military responses toward Iran as deadly anti-government protests continue to rock the country, according to two US officials familiar with the deliberations. The discussions come amid rising violence by Iranian security forces and follow Trump’s recent public warnings that the United States could strike the Iranian regime if it uses lethal force against civilians.
In recent days, Trump has received briefings outlining multiple intervention scenarios, the officials said, as unrest across Iran has resulted in dozens of deaths and thousands of arrests. Several of the military options presented to the president focus on targeting Tehran’s internal security apparatus, including units of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and other forces being deployed to suppress demonstrations in major cities.
US officials emphasized, however, that there is significant debate within the administration about whether military action would ultimately help or harm the protest movement. Some senior advisers fear that US strikes could backfire by allowing Iranian leaders to portray the unrest as foreign-instigated, potentially rallying public support around the regime. Others worry that any military intervention could provoke Iranian retaliation against US forces, allies, or commercial interests in the region, escalating into a wider conflict.
The New York Times first reported that Trump had been briefed on potential military options.
Alongside kinetic strikes, the administration is also examining a range of measures designed to pressure Iran’s leadership without direct military action. According to officials, these options include expanded cyber operations aimed at Iranian military or regime-linked targets. Such actions could disrupt communications, surveillance systems, or command structures used to crack down on protesters.
Additional non-military measures under consideration include imposing new sanctions on senior regime figures and expanding restrictions on key sectors of Iran’s economy, particularly energy and banking. These steps are intended to increase economic pressure on Tehran while signaling US support for demonstrators calling for political change.
The administration has also explored ways to bolster internet access inside Iran, including the potential provision of satellite-based connectivity such as Starlink. Iranian authorities have repeatedly imposed internet blackouts during periods of unrest in an effort to limit organization and information-sharing among protesters. A similar approach was pursued by then-President Joe Biden’s administration during widespread protests in Iran in 2022.
Multiple US agencies, including the Pentagon, State Department, intelligence community, and National Security Council, have been involved in developing and refining the options, officials said. More formal briefings are expected in the coming days, including a high-level meeting on Tuesday, when Trump is slated to convene senior national security officials to discuss how to proceed.
Iranian officials have issued stark warnings against any US intervention. Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, the hardline speaker of Iran’s parliament, said Tehran would consider US military bases and commercial shipping hubs legitimate targets if Washington takes military action.
“If the US takes military action towards Iran or the occupied territories, the US military and shipping centers will be considered legitimate targets,” Qalibaf said. “We do not limit ourselves to only reacting after an action has been taken,” he added, suggesting Iran could act preemptively.
While no final decision has been made, US officials stressed that Trump is seriously considering some form of action as the death toll continues to climb. Any military option under review would not involve deploying US ground forces to Iran, a senior White House official told CNN, underscoring Trump’s repeated insistence that there would be no “boots on the ground.”
According to figures provided to CNN by Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA), at least 10,675 people have been arrested over the past 15 days of demonstrations, including 169 children. HRA’s news arm, the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), also reported that at least 490 protesters have been killed during the same period. CNN has not been able to independently verify the arrest or casualty figures.
Trump has repeatedly expressed public support for the protesters. “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before,” he wrote on social media Saturday. “The USA stands ready to help!!!”
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Trump reiterated his warning to Tehran, saying the US would intervene if Iranian authorities resorted to widespread lethal force. “I’ve made the statement very strongly that if they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved,” Trump said during a meeting with oil executives. “And that doesn’t mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very, very hard where it hurts.”
Diplomatic and military coordination among US allies is also intensifying. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, according to two sources familiar with the call. The leaders discussed the protests in Iran, as well as broader regional developments in Syria and Gaza.
The Israel Defense Forces said Sunday that they are closely monitoring the situation as Iran enters its third week of nationwide demonstrations. “The protests are an internal Iranian matter. Nevertheless, the IDF is prepared defensively and is continuously improving its capabilities and operational readiness,” an IDF spokesperson said.
Netanyahu is expected to convene a limited security consultation Sunday evening, with the evolving situation in Iran and tensions in Lebanon high on the agenda, according to an Israeli source.