An escalation in the deadly crackdown on protests in Iran meant Washington might need to take action despite the regime reaching out for negotiations.
Jan. 12 U.S. President Trump said the Iranian leadership had made contact in order to initiate negotiations but warned that the violence the regime was unleashing on its own people might require the United States to take “action” before any talks take place.
“The leaders of Iran called, they want to negotiate. I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States. We may meet with them, I mean a meeting is being set up. But we may have to act, because of what’s happening, before the meeting”, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday night.
Speaking after it emerged Iranian security forces had killed as many as 500 protesters, most of them since Thursday, Trump said Iran’s “leaders” were violent people who just ruled through violence and that his administration, including the U.S. military, was looking at the situation very seriously and considering “some very strong options.”
“I’m getting an hourly report and we’re to make a determination”, he added, but declined to give details of what form any action might take.
U.S. media earlier Sunday reported that Trump was weighing intervention options he had been briefed on, some of which included military strikes on Iranian security and military sites.
