Khaberni - American President Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran contacted him to negotiate after he indicated his intention to order a strike due to the widespread protests that have been occurring in the country for more than two weeks, while Israeli officials stated that Tel Aviv is in a state of high military alert in anticipation of any American strike on Tehran.
Trump told reporters aboard the presidential plane, "Iranian leaders reached out yesterday," adding that "a meeting is being planned.. They want to negotiate, but," he added, "we might have to act before the meeting takes place."
The American President mentioned that he is in contact with leaders of the Iranian opposition, and his administration is working on providing Iranians with internet services, discussing this with American billionaire businessman Elon Musk, who owns "Starlink," which provides satellite internet.
Trump early on Monday said he is considering a range of responses to the escalating disturbances in Iran, including possible military options, stating, "We are taking this very seriously, the military is watching, and we are considering some very strong options, a decision will be made."
American Options
A White House official said that President Trump has been briefed on a range of options for military strikes in Iran, including on civilian sites, and he is seriously considering issuing an order for a military attack on Iran.
In this context, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing American officials, that Trump will receive a briefing tomorrow, Tuesday, on specific options for responding to the protests in Iran, with the meeting likely attended by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Higseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Ken.
The newspaper clarified that tomorrow's meeting will discuss the next steps, which may include enhancing resources opposing the Iranian government online, launching secret electronic strikes against Iranian military and civilian sites, imposing more sanctions on the regime, and conducting military strikes.
The Wall Street Journal noted that Trump is not expected to make a final decision on Iran during the meeting, especially as deliberations are still in their early stages, and some officials expressed concerns that intervention might assist the Iranian regime's propaganda.
Legislator's Skepticism
However, at least two US Senators expressed a cautious tone during TV interviews last Sunday, with Republican Senator Rand Paul stating, "I don't know if bombing Iran will have the intended effect."
Paul and Democratic Senator Mark Warner added that a military attack on Iran might rally the people against an external enemy instead of undermining the regime, and Warner warned that a military strike on Iran might threaten to unite the Iranians against the United States "in a way that the regime could not."
Warner pointed out the risks of American intervention in history, saying that the overthrow of the Iranian government in 1953 with the support of the United States triggered a series of events that gradually led to the rise of the Islamic regime in the country in the late 1970s.
Israeli Readiness
Reuters reported from three Israeli sources who attended Israeli security consultations earlier last week that Israel is in a state of high alert in preparation for any potential American intervention in Iran.
An Israeli military official mentioned that the protests are an internal Iranian matter, but the Israeli military is closely monitoring developments and is ready to respond "forcefully if necessary."
An informed Israeli source stated that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the American Secretary of State discussed in a phone call the day before yesterday, Saturday, the possibility of US intervention in Iran.
Netanyahu said Israel closely monitors the ongoing protests in Iran, expressing hope that the Iranians would be "liberated" from what he described as tyranny. He added at the beginning of the weekly government session that Israel supports these protests and condemns what he called the massacres committed against protestors.
Channel 12 Israeli reported from an Israeli source that Tel Aviv will not take any action against Iran at the moment, and any step will be in coordination with Washington.
Meanwhile, Channel 13 Israeli reported that Israeli security services recommend that the political leadership refrain from intervening in the events in Iran, seeing that any Israeli intervention would disrupt the course of the protests.
Appeal and Readiness
In a related context, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres yesterday, Sunday, appealed to the Iranian authorities to "exercise maximum restraint" amid the bloody protests shaking the country.
Guterres added on his account on the X platform "shocked by the reports related to violence and the excessive use of force by the Iranian authorities against protestors, resulting in deaths and injuries in recent days."
European Union Foreign Policy Chief Kaya Kalas stated today, Monday, that she is ready to propose new sanctions against Iran in response to what she described as the brutal suppression of protestors.
Kalas told the German newspaper "Die Welt" that the initial focus is likely on punitive measures targeting individuals responsible for violence against protestors, likely including government ministers. These measures may include travel bans to the European Union and asset freezes."
Iran Threatens
In response, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, threatened to retaliate against any US attack on his country, stating, "Any attack on our country will make the occupied territories (referring to Israel) and US bases and ships legitimate targets for Iran."
For his part, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated that the protests that erupted on December 28 last year began "calm and legitimate but soon deviated from their course and turned into a terrorist war against the country."
He added, in statements to the press today, Monday, that subsequent developments of these demonstrations witnessed some movements sliding towards violence, noting that his country has documents proving the involvement of the United States and Israel in what he described as the "terrorist movement" that accompanied the recent protests.
Earlier, Iranian President Masoud Bazeshkian stated that America and Israel are giving orders to those he described as riot instigators to carry out acts of sabotage.
Iran continues to experience protests over living conditions in the country for the third week amid a total internet blackout, with anti-authority slogans raised in several demonstrations.
