There are new indications that the U.S. may be edging closer to a new round of attacks or other actions against Iran. In a social media message addressed to Iranian protesters, U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced that he has cut off any further negotiations with government officials there, urged the massive nationwide demonstrations to continue, and implied future U.S. intervention. The comments made by Trump, who has previously vowed to take action against Iran if the crackdown on protesters grew too bloody, came as reports have emerged that as many as 20,000 people have been killed by the regime.
You can catch up with our previous coverage of the unfolding events here.
“Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!,” Trump proclaimed on his Truth Social platform in response to the increasingly bloody crackdown. “Save the names of the killers and abusers. They will pay a big price. I have cancelled all meetings with Iranian Officials until the senseless killing of protesters STOPS. HELP IS ON ITS WAY.”
Trump ended his posting with “MIGA!!!,” or Make Iran Great Again, a play on his famous campaign slogan. He provided no further details. The White House referred us to Truth Social when we asked for more information. U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, declined to comment on whether there has been any new tasking or change in force posture ordered by the White House.
The president’s latest statement on the anti-government protests raging since Dec. 28 came as his national security principals met to discuss the situation, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. Trump did not attend, she added.
The U.S. leader’s options for a response “include ordering military strikes on regime sites or launching cyberattacks, approving new sanctions and boosting anti-regime accounts online,” The Wall Street Journal suggested. Trump took the first step, ordering that any nation doing business with Iran would be hit with a 25% tariff.
The social media posting also comes a day after the White House said that while Trump preferred a diplomatic solution to the crisis, he is “unafraid to use the lethal force and might of the United States military. Iranian officials, Trump noted on Sunday, had called him seeking negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programs.
As we discussed yesterday, and it still holds true today, we have seen no indications of major U.S. military movements that would typically be seen prior to a major offensive or defensive military operation in the region.
Behind the scenes, Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff met with exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi to discuss the situation, Axios reported. Pahlavi, whose fatally ill father, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, fled Iran ahead of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, has helped spark the uprising from afar.
For its part, Israel is getting close to deciding whether it should attack Iran, a senior IDF official told us. He spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational details. Israel, which fought a 12-day war against Iran in June, remains concerned about the large supply of short-range ballistic and cruise missiles that Tehran did not use during that conflict.
“There is persistent concern regarding potential Iranian retaliation, alongside indications of Israeli preventive activity related to Iran,” the official told us. “All of this is taking place under an exceptionally high level of secrecy, making the full picture difficult to assess. What can be said with confidence is that IDF aircraft and all relevant operational elements are at the highest level of readiness, awaiting a political decision. In my assessment, the moment of decision is closer than ever.”
Any action Israel may decide to take “would be carried out exclusively in full coordination with the Trump administration and CENTCOM,” the official added. “The military coordination mechanisms between Israel and the United States are exceptionally strong and continuous, particularly given the presence of senior CENTCOM leadership and coordination elements in Israel. This ensures close operational alignment and real-time information sharing.”
Officially, the IDF is downplaying its potential role in the ongoing unrest.
“In recent days, many rumors have spread against the backdrop of the situation in Iran,” IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin posted on X Monday. “As was clarified previously, the IDF is prepared for defense and on alert for surprise scenarios if required. The protests in Iran are an internal matter. We continue to conduct ongoing situation assessments and will update on any changes if and when they occur. I emphasize – do not lend a hand to rumors.”
As Washington and Jerusalem mull over whether to strike, more horrific videos and images of the bloody response to the demonstrations are pouring in.
One video purports to show demonstrators coming under fire in Mashhad.
Other videos show huge throngs of people on the streets in Tehran.
The number of those killed so far varies from about 2,000, according to Iranian government figures, to at least more than 12,000, according to CBS News.
“With phone lines opening back up for calls from inside the Islamic Republic, two sources, including one inside Iran, told CBS News on Tuesday that at least 12,000, and possibly as many as 20,000 people have been killed,” the network stated.
The War Zone cannot independently verify these figures.
Iran International, an opposition media outlet, claims that the killings have been carried out in an organized manner by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Basij paramilitary forces it commands.
During his speech at the Detroit Economic Club, Trump repeated comments he made earlier to reporters that while he is getting a wide range of figures on the number of people killed, “one is a lot.”
Information about events inside Iran is flowing even though officials there have cut off internet and phone service, including trying to jam Starlink receivers, as we noted yesterday.
On Tuesday, the regime posted a video claiming to show dozens of Starlink receivers it has confiscated. Iran has also been hunting down Starlink operators, according to The Wall Street Journal. Possession of these systems is illegal in Iran. We reached out to Elon Musk’s SpaceX company, which operates Starlink, for more details.
The crackdown on protests is garnering growing international condemnation.
European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the organization will propose new sanctions against Iran.
“The rising number of casualties in Iran is horrifying,” she exclaimed on X. “I unequivocally condemn the excessive use of force and continued restriction of freedom. The European Union has already listed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in its entirety under its human rights sanctions regime. …further sanctions on those responsible for the repression will be swiftly proposed. We stand with the people of Iran who are bravely marching for their liberty.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday said the regime of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appears to be finished as mass protests continue across the country.
“If a regime can only keep itself in power by force, then it’s effectively at the end. I believe we are now seeing the final days and weeks of this regime,” Merz said during a visit to India.
Now 16 days into protests sparked by anger over rising prices, devalued currency that saw the rial crater now to basically nothing, a devastating drought, and brutal government crackdowns, there appears to be no end in sight, despite the Iranian government’s claims to the contrary.
Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com