Washington: US President Donald Trump said the United States is considering "very strong options" in response to developments in Iran, as reports indicated civilians may have been killed, prompting heightened military review.
"They're starting to, it looks like, and there seem to be some people killed that aren't supposed to be killed," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on his way back from Florida to the White House on Sunday. "These are violent if you call 'em leaders. I don't know if they're leaders or just they rule through violence."
Trump and his national security team have been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran including cyberattacks and direct strikes by the US or Israel, according to two people familiar with internal White House discussions who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
"The military is looking at it, and we're looking at some very strong options," Trump told reporters Sunday night. Asked about Iran's threats of retaliation, he said: "If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they've never been hit before."
Trump said he intends to speak with tech billionaire Elon Musk about ways to restore internet access to Iranians, noting Musk and his company are experts in satellite connectivity. The U.S. may consider using SpaceX’s Starlink satellite system to help bypass Tehran’s shutdown.
Iran’s leadership has issued strong warnings in response to U.S. threats of strikes, saying it would target U.S. and Israeli interests if attacked. Meanwhile, top Iranian officials are calling for national unity and have pledged to respond firmly to any foreign intervention.
Death toll spikes to at least 544
A crackdown on nationwide protests in Iran has killed at least 544 people and even more are feared dead, activists said Sunday, while Tehran warned that the US military and Israel would be "legitimate targets" if America uses force to protect demonstrators.
Another over 10,600 people have been detained over the two weeks of protests, said the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in previous unrest in recent years. It relies on supporters in Iran crosschecking information. It said 496 of the dead were protesters and 48 were with security forces.
