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United States President Donald Trump has said that Washington is considering “strong options” in response to the protests in Iran, including possible military intervention.
“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,” he told reporters on board Air Force One late on Sunday.
He said Iran’s leadership had called, seeking “to negotiate” after his threats of military action, and that a “meeting is being set up”.
But he added that “we may have to act before a meeting”.
Trump’s latest threat came as Iranian leaders issued a stark warning against military intervention, with Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf saying “In the case of an attack on Iran, the occupied territories [Israel] as well as all US bases and ships will be our legitimate target”.
The protests began on December 28, when merchants at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar closed their shops over the Iranian rial’s plummeting value. The demonstrations quickly spread nationwide, with grievances evolving from economic concerns over soaring living costs to broader opposition against Iran’s clerical establishment, who have governed the country since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
According to Iranian state media, at least 109 security personnel have been killed during the unrest, and authorities have not confirmed the number of demonstrators who have lost their lives.
But opposition activists based outside the country say the death toll is higher and includes hundreds of protesters.
A nationwide internet blackout has also persisted for more than 72 hours, according to monitoring groups.
The unrest in Iran is unfolding as Trump pursues an assertive foreign policy, having abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and discussing acquiring Greenland by purchase or force.
Trump was scheduled to meet with senior advisers on Tuesday to discuss options for Iran, a US official told the Reuters news agency. The Wall Street Journal reported that options included military strikes, using secret cyberweapons, widening sanctions and providing online help to antigovernment sources.
Trump said on Sunday that he plans to speak with billionaire Elon Musk about restoring internet in Iran.
“He’s very good at that kind of thing, he’s got a very good company,” Trump told reporters in response to a question about whether he would engage with Musk’s SpaceX company, which offers a satellite internet service called Starlink that has been used in Iran.
The US leader also spoke on his plans for Greenland and Venezuela.
On Greenland, he called for the Danish Arctic territory to “make a deal”, and said “we are talking about acquiring it, not making a short term deal”.
Source: Aljazeera
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