President Trump is considering “some very strong options” to respond to Iran while appearing to weigh negotiations with the country.
Trump suggested Iran was starting to cross a red line as the country has cracked down on the demonstrations, after warning Iran in recent days to “not start shooting, because we’ll start shooting too.”
“They’re starting to it looks like and there seem to be some people killed that aren’t supposed to be killed. These are violent, if you call them leaders. I don’t know if they’re leaders or just they rule through violence. But 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 Scripps News Sunday when asked if Iran had crossed a red line to trigger a response.
The White House suggested diplomacy is always Trump’s first option, but did not rule out military options, after Trump said Iran reached out.
“They want to negotiate. I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. While Trump suggested a meeting is being arranged, he warned “we may have to act because of what’s happening” before meetings.
An Iranian official reached out to Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, according to the White House. Witkoff took part in a series of talks with Iran last year in efforts to reach a deal, before Israel carried out strikes in Iran and the US followed suit in efforts to decimate Iran’s nuclear program.
"Well, I think one thing President Trump is very good at is always keeping all of his options on the table, and airstrikes would be one of the many, many options that are on the table for the commander-in-chief. Diplomacy is always the first option for the president. He's told all of you last night that what you're hearing publicly from the Iranian regime is quite differently from the messages the administration is receiving privately, and I think the president has an interest in exploring those messages,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters. “However, with that said, the president has shown he's unafraid to use military options, if and when he deems necessary. And nobody knows that better than Iran.”
Iranian officials have warned it could consider US military sites targets in response to US action, though Trump has warned “ If they do that we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”
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Trump has warned publicly for days that the US could become involved if Iran killed protesters, which began demonstrating in December over economic concerns in Iran. More than 500 people are dead and more than 10,600 have been arrested according to the US-based Human Rights Activist News Agency.
“Iran is as weak as it’s ever been,” said a former defense official, granted anonymity to discuss the situation. However, they believe that Iran is “prepared to do whatever is necessary” to keep the regime in power, up to genocidal measures.
Iran is likely worried about Trump, though, according to the former defense official, who said that’s “the new card.” The former official called the president a “transformational force in the region,” noting it could make Iran hesitant to act.
“The unpredictability of our president is our greatest asset here,” the former official said. “They fear President Trump,” the former official added, calling it a “huge advantage.”
The official noted the US could double down on economic sanctions, needed to get information into Iran and could look at strikes, giving the example of leadership targets or the IRGC.
However, those would need to be narrow to avoid the death of innocent people and something to rally behind.
“You want to avoid giving them something to turn and use an example of the aggressor,” the former defense official said.
When asked about the balance of helping versus hindering protesters, Trump told Scripps News, “We’re gonna see. I mean some of the protesters were killed through the stampeding I mean there’s so many of them. And some were shot. We’re getting a full report. I’m getting an hourly report and we’re gonna make a determination.”
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Some Iranians are looking for a quicker response from the US, though.
“I’ve heard from Iranians that the policy making process in the US hasn’t kept up with developments on the ground,” said Jason Brodsky, the policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran. “The momentum needs to be sustained.
Trump suggested he was considering both military and non military options, and confirmed the US is coordinating with allies in the response.
The president moved for tougher economic measures Monday. He announced new tariffs of 25 percent “against any country engaging in business with Iran for “any an all business being done” with the US. The measure adds to sanctions the country already faces over its nuclear programs.
The president spoke to Elon Musk, according to the White House. “We may get the internet going if that’s possible,” Trump said ahead of the call.
The former defense official said getting information into Iran “would be a powerful action,” citing the need for Starlink in large numbers and information into and from Iraq.
Trump confirmed the administration is also in contact with Iranian opposition leaders, stating only “you can find out pretty soon” about his message to them.
As options are considered, some regional experts believe the Iranians are seeking to stall time with the potential for a meeting.
“They will want to get us into negotiations so we can argue about how big the table is going to be,” said the former defense official.
While Trump’s messaging has “electrified” Iranians, Brodsky calls a diplomatic meeting a mistake.
“My concern is they’re going to be demoralized and view it as a US intervention on behalf of the Islamic Republic,” Brodsky said.
