President Trump’s top national security officials are set to brief him Tuesday with options for the U.S. to respond to the Iranian regime’s deadly use of force against protests.
Trump has threatened military intervention and said he is looking at “strong options” to respond to what human rights groups allege is the killing of hundreds of protesters and injuring of thousands.
Former U.S. officials and analysts say a range of options are available to the president that span the spectrum from diplomacy to sabotage and military action.
While it’s unclear whether U.S. actions would help protesters break the regime, observers agree the country’s Islamic rulers have rarely been weaker, facing mass economic discontent, severe water shortages a military weakened by conflicts with Israel and the U.S.
“All these things matter. Do they matter enough? Nobody knows,” said Ilan Goldenberg, senior vice president and chief policy officer at J Street, an advocacy and lobbying organization centered on U.S. policy toward Israel and the Middle East.
Military strikes would likely be calibrated to inflict damage toward specific aims — like protecting protesters or taking out specific leaders — while guarding against retaliation that risks escalation.
Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, warned on Sunday that the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if Trump ordered military strikes against the country.
Some options floated by analysts and former U.S. officials include strikes on Iranian military or security installations involved in harming protesters, or an operation targeting Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
While Trump’s capture this month of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro demonstrated impressive U.S. military capabilities, former U.S. officials say that Iran’s geography and the positioning of American military assets make such an operation against Khamenei highly unlikely.
The U.S. moved both aircraft carrier strike groups out of the Mediterranean Sea in 2025 as it shifted assets to the Caribbean.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday said “diplomacy is always the first option for the president,” but added all options remain open, including airstrikes.
“The president has shown he’s unafraid to use military options if and when he deems necessary,” she said.
