Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said Iran appeared to be nearing a red line he had previously outlined, referring to the killing of protesters. Asked whether that line had been crossed, he responded, “They’re starting to, it looks like.”
He said the administration was examining the situation closely. “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 said.
Trump also claimed that Iran’s leadership had reached out to seek negotiations following his warnings of possible military action. “The leaders of Iran called yesterday,” he said, adding that a meeting was being arranged. However, he cautioned that “we may have to act before a meeting.”
According to a US official cited by Reuters, Trump is expected to meet senior advisers on Tuesday to discuss options regarding Iran. The The Wall Street Journal reported that the options under consideration include military strikes, the use of covert cyber capabilities, tougher sanctions and online support for anti-government groups.
Iranian officials responded with strong warnings. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said any attack on Iran would trigger retaliation. He warned that Israel, as well as US bases and naval assets in the region, would become legitimate targets.
Meanwhile, the Iranian government announced three days of national mourning for what it described as “martyrs,” including members of the security forces killed during the unrest. State television framed the crackdown as a national resistance effort against the United States and Israel.
President Masoud Pezeshkian called for a nationwide “national resistance march” on Monday, urging citizens to rally against what authorities described as violence carried out by “urban terrorist criminals.”
Despite an internet blackout lasting more than 72 hours, protests have continued to spread, according to monitoring group NetBlocks, which warned that the shutdown is restricting information and obscuring the true scale of casualties.
A US-based rights group, HRANA, said more than 500 people have been killed during two weeks of unrest, including protesters and security personnel, with over 10,600 arrests reported. Iranian authorities have not released official casualty figures, and the toll could not be independently verified.
