WASHINGTON/TEHRAN, Jan 11 – President Donald Trump has told Iranian leadership that the United States “stands ready to help” protesters as they challenge the country’s theocracy for a third straight week.
The President’s message comes amid reports that the White House has been presented with military options for strikes on Iran. This follows a spike in the protest death toll, which activists now place at 116 people.
“Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before,” Trump posted on social media.
In Tehran, the rhetoric has turned increasingly aggressive. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf stood before a session of shouting lawmakers to promise a brutal response to the internal unrest. “The people of Iran should know that we will deal with them in the most severe way and punish those who are arrested,” Qalibaf said.
He further expanded the threat to international targets, specifically naming Israel and the U.S. military as potential objects of a preemptive strike if signs of a U.S. attack emerge.
The protests, which began in late December due to a collapsing economy and a tanking currency, have spread to major hubs including Tehran, Mashhad, and Kerman. Despite the presence of security forces and the threat of execution, demonstrators have continued to flood the streets.
In a show of defiance, many have adopted the old “lion-and-sun” flag from the era before the 1979 Revolution. Meanwhile, the U.S. military confirmed it remains “postured with forces that span the full range of combat capability” to protect its interests and allies in the region.
