President Donald Trump has received briefings in recent days on potential military strike options targeting Iran, as he weighs responding to the government’s violent suppression of widespread anti-regime demonstrations, according to multiple U.S. officials with knowledge of the discussions.
No final decision has been made, but sources say the president is seriously contemplating action in response to the Iranian authorities’ crackdown on protests that began as an economic revolt and have since hardened into sweeping demands for political change, reported The New York Times.
The demonstrations erupted in late December after a sharp collapse in the value of Iran’s currency, igniting inflation and pushing basic goods out of reach for many citizens. The unrest has since spread across cities and provinces, with crowds chanting slogans that directly challenge the country’s leadership and call for an end to the current authoritarian system.
Human rights organizations report that dozens of demonstrators have been killed as security forces moved to crush the gatherings, with some estimates placing the toll higher and citing thousands of arrests nationwide.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, signaled defiance on Friday, declaring the government would “not back down” in the face of large-scale protests.
This is not a protest. It is a revolution.
Yes, Iran is looking at FREEDOM.January 2026 Iran. pic.twitter.com/CI4UXMd3lZ
— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) January 10, 2026
President Trump has issued repeated warnings that U.S. intervention could follow if the regime escalates its use of lethal force against civilians. Speaking to reporters Friday during a meeting with oil industry executives, he said:
“I’ve made the statement very strongly that if they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved. We’ll be hitting them very hard where it hurts. And that doesn’t mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very, very hard where it hurts. So we don’t want that to happen.”
On Saturday, the president reinforced the message on social media, writing: “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!”
It appears that the Iranian leadership did finally cross that line over the weekend.
תיעוד מלב ההפגנות בטהראן: כוחות המשטר האיראניים פותחים באש לעבר מפגיניםhttps://t.co/0PyZOpWpy2@ishayb2003 pic.twitter.com/mvlllnc2Cm
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) January 10, 2026
Asked about preparations for possible military action, the White House pointed to those public statements.
Officials familiar with the briefings said the options presented to Trump include targeted strikes against elements of Iran’s security apparatus involved in suppressing the protests, as well as potential actions against nonmilitary locations in Tehran. Any operation, they said, would be designed to avoid triggering broad Iranian retaliation or consolidating domestic support for the regime.
Military commanders in the region have requested additional time to bolster U.S. positions and defensive measures ahead of any potential engagement.
The deliberations come less than a year into Trump’s second term, during which the U.S. military has carried out strikes in multiple countries, including a June 2025 operation against Iranian nuclear facilities and a recent action in Venezuela. The situation also follows discussions between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where the Iranian unrest was among the topics addressed.
The ongoing demonstrations represent one of the most serious challenges to Iran’s leadership in years, raising fresh questions about the regime’s stability and the broader implications for regional security.
