Iran Unrest: US Mulling Military Strikes? Trump Says Iranians Want To Negotiate As '544 Die' - 10 Points

(MENAFN- Live Mint) US President Donald Trump yet again signalled tough action on Iran. According to several reports, he is weighing a series of potential military options in Iran following deadly protests across the country.

However, Trump claimed on Sunday that Iranians want to negotiate now. Meanwhile, an activist claimed that the toll in protests rose to 544 people and even more are feared dead.

Here's all you need to know about the ongoing Iran protests.

1. Trump is scheduled to be briefed by senior officials in his administration on Tuesday on specific options to respond to the protests in Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing US officials.

2. What are the possible next steps to weigh in? The meeting will be a discussion about possible next steps, which may include, as per the Journal:

- Military strikes

- Deploying secretive cyber weapons against Iranian military and civilian sites

- Placing more sanctions on Iran's government

- Boosting anti-government sources online

The White House said it had no comment on the report.

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3. Trump also warned Iran that the US is looking at some "very strong option."

“It looks like [the line has been crossed]...There seem to be some people killed that aren't supposed to be killed. These are violent - if you call them leaders, I don't know if they're leaders or just they rule through violence - but we're looking at it very seriously. The military's looking at it. We're looking at some very strong option, we'll make a determination," Trump said on late Sunday (local time).

4. Meanwhile, two US officials told CNN Trump is weighing a series of potential military options in Iran. At the same time, British outlet The Telegraph reported on Sunday that senior officials in the US defense establishment warned Trump that the military needs more time to prepare for strikes against Iran

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5. What are the concerns? There are concerns inside the administration that military strikes could backfire and undermine the protests, sources told CNN.

The concerns, the officials said, are that strikes could have the unintended effect of rallying the Iranian people to support the government, or lead Iran to retaliate with military force of its own.

6. On Sunday, Trump said he will talk to billionaire Elon Musk about using his Starlink service to help restore internet communications.

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7. President Donald Trump also claimed that Iran's leadership reached out to the US and proposed negotiations after he threatened action in response to a crackdown on protesters in the Middle Eastern country.

In comments to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports of the death toll in Iran mount and the government continues to arrest protesters, the Associated Press reported.

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“I think they're tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump said. He was quoted by AP as saying,“Iran wants to negotiate.” He said, "...a meeting is being set up...we may have to act before a meeting."

8. Amid Trump's claims, a rights group said on Sunday that the unrest in Iran has killed 544 people and even more are feared dead, according to latest figures by US-based rights group HRANA.

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9. Earlier, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned Washington against "a miscalculation."

"Let us be clear: in the case of an attack on Iran, the occupied territories (Israel) as well as all U.S. bases and ships will be our legitimate target," said Qalibaf, a former commander in Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards.

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10. The protests began on December 28 in response to soaring prices, before turning against the clerical rulers who have governed since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Iranian authorities accused the US and Israel of fomenting trouble and called for a nationwide rally on Monday to condemn "terrorist actions led by the United States and Israel," state media reported.

(With inputs from agencies)

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