The US president has been briefed on new options for military strikes in Iran, a senior US official confirmed on Sunday.
The US secretary of state Marco Rubio and Israeli prime minieter Benjamin Netanyahu have reportedly met and discussed a possible American intervention in Iran to help the anti-government protesters.
A US official confirmed that the conversation took place but not its content.
Tehran has vowed to retaliate.
Sky News reported that Israel is now on high alert for a possible US intervention in Iran amid ongoing anti-government protests, according to three Israeli sources.
Last night in a post on his Truth Social platform Donald Trump again threatened to intervene saying that that the US stood “ready to help”.
CBS news reports: Mr. Trump appeared to lay out his red line for action on Friday when he warned that if the Iranian government began “killing people like they have in the past, we would get involved.”
“We’ll be hitting them very hard where it hurts,” he said at the White House. “And that doesn’t mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very, very hard where it hurts.”
On social media, Mr. Trump offered his support for the protesters, saying that “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!”
Mr. Trump’s warnings come as nationwide unrest challenging Iran’s theocracy crossed the two-week mark. At least 538 people have died in violence surrounding the demonstrations, U.S.-based activists said, with fears the death toll is far higher. More than 10,600 people have been arrested, the Human Rights Activists News Agency said.
The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, citing anonymous U.S. officials, first reported Saturday night that Mr. Trump had been given military options but hadn’t made a final decision. The WSJ reports that Trump will receive further options on Tuesday.
The U.S. has not moved any forces in preparation for potential military strikes.
America has many capabilities and options, and cyber attacks could be among them, according to a U.S. official who also confirmed that the Trump administration approves of Elon Musk’s decision to make Starlink terminals available in Iran. That satellite-based internet service could help protestors bypass government restrictions amid the ongoing communications blackout. Starlink did not respond to CBS inquiries.