The nationwide protests across Iran, sparked by a currency crisis and economic collapse, have been increasingly aimed at the ruling system and have become the most serious challenge to the Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution.
Trump, in recent days, has also left open the possibility of American intervention in Iran.
US President Donald Trump has said that the United States is closely monitoring the unrest in Iran and is mulling "potential options" as the Islamic Republic faces its third week of nationwide protests-- the largest since 2022-- against the theocratic regime led by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
"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 Sunday as he returned to Washington from his Mar-a-Lago home on Sunday.
The nationwide protests across Iran, sparked by a currency crisis and economic collapse, have been increasingly aimed at the ruling system and have become the most serious challenge to the Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution. According to the US-based Human Rights Activist News Agency, over 540 people have been killed in Iranian protests, and over 10,000 arrests have been made across all of Iran's 31 provinces.
Communications remain largely cut off, as the internet shutdown touched the 84-hour mark on Monday, making it difficult to track the full scope of the protest movement. While President Masoud Pezeshkian has struck a conciliatory tone and urged dialogue, other officials have warned of swift trials and even the death penalty as unrest spread and fatalities mounted.
Trump's Open Support For Protestors
Trump has been openly backing protesters and hinting at US military action against the regime of Supreme Leader Khamenei, unsettling allies and rivals alike. On January 2, he said that the US was "locked and loaded" as he warned the Iranian regime not to kill peaceful protesters. Then on Friday, he said the US would "start shooting" if authorities opened fire on demonstrators.