The White House has declared that President Donald Trump is "unafraid to use military force" against Iran, as the Islamic Republic grapples with its most significant internal unrest in over a decade.
White House Issues Stark Warning
Speaking to Fox News on Monday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that while diplomacy remains the preferred course, the President is fully prepared to deploy the "lethal force and might of the United States military" if he deems it necessary. "Airstrikes would be one of the many, many options that are on the table for the commander-in-chief," Leavitt emphasised.
She pointed to last year's US strikes on three major Iranian nuclear sites as a precedent, remarking that "Nobody knows that better than Iran" when it comes to Trump's willingness to act. Leavitt also noted a discrepancy in Iran's private and public communications with the US, suggesting the President is keen to explore these differing messages.
Nationwide Protests Met with Brutal Crackdown
The warnings from Washington come amid a severe government response to protests that have swept Iran for more than two weeks. The demonstrations began with traders in Tehran objecting to a sudden drop in the value of the Iranian rial but have since evolved into a broader challenge to the country's clerical leadership.
Iranian authorities have imposed internet blackouts, made mass arrests, and issued public warnings that participating in protests could carry the death penalty. The Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights has confirmed that at least 648 people have been killed since the unrest began. Meanwhile, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reports over 10,600 arrests.
In a show of force, the regime organised a pro-government rally in Tehran on Monday, bringing tens of thousands onto the streets to counter the protest movement, which officials have blamed on "American-Zionist terrorism."
Trump's Escalating Rhetoric
President Trump has repeatedly threatened Tehran over its handling of the dissent. Earlier this month, he warned that if Iranian officials attacked protesters, the US would "come to their rescue," adding that American forces were "locked and loaded and ready to go." He reiterated this stance last Friday, directly addressing Iranian leaders: "I tell the Iranian leaders, 'You’d better not start shooting, because we’ll start shooting too.'"
As images of burning cars and reported casualties continue to emerge from Iran, the international focus remains on whether the escalating rhetoric from the White House will translate into concrete action, and how the embattled regime in Tehran will respond to both internal pressure and external threats.
