Trump Considers Military Options Against Iran in Response to Crackdown on Protests

The New York Times reported, citing U.S. officials, that U.S. President Donald Trump has in recent days reviewed new options for launching military attacks against Iran, in response to what he described as the suppression of protests inside the country, without having made a final decision so far.

According to the newspaper, Trump is considering the possibility of issuing orders to carry out military strikes amid the continuation of popular protests in Iran over economic conditions, which Iranian authorities have met with a broad campaign of arrests, describing the events as riots accompanied by armed attacks during the demonstrations.

The New York Times indicated that the options under consideration focus on targeting “elements within the Iranian security apparatus accused of using violence against protesters.” The newspaper quoted a U.S. military official as saying that military commanders “would need more time to prepare for any potential retaliatory strikes that Iran might carry out.”