President Donald Trump is set to receive a briefing this week on possible U.S. responses to the growing unrest in Iran.
The move is a sign that the administration is actively weighing how to confront Tehran over its violent crackdown on protesters, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.
According to the Journal, Tuesday's meeting will focus on a range of options rather than a final decision.
Those options include deploying covert cyberoperations against Iranian military and civilian infrastructure, tightening economic sanctions, or potentially authorizing limited military action, the report said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, War Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Joint Chiefs Chair Dan Caine are expected to attend, the Journal reported.
Activists say the death toll from Iran’s nationwide protest crackdown rose Sunday to at least 538 people.
Tehran has responded with threats of its own. On Sunday, Iran’s parliamentary speaker warned that U.S. military bases across the Middle East would be targeted if Washington acts first.
Some administration officials have cautioned that overt U.S. or Israeli involvement could allow Tehran to portray the protests as foreign-instigated, reinforcing regime propaganda.
The Pentagon has not repositioned forces in preparation for potential strikes. Any military action would require the U.S. to move assets into the region both to conduct operations and protect American personnel.
The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford recently redeployed from the Mediterranean to Latin America, leaving no U.S. carrier strike group currently stationed in the Middle East.
Ahead of Tuesday’s briefing, agencies have been asked to submit detailed proposals, including potential military targets and economic measures, the report said.
One option under consideration is sending Starlink satellite internet terminals into Iran to help protesters bypass regime-imposed internet blackouts, the report said.
Trump has escalated his rhetoric since protests erupted two weeks ago, warning Tehran not to harm demonstrators and declaring the U.S. “locked and loaded.” On Friday, he said the U.S. would respond militarily if Iranian authorities opened fire on civilians.
Over the weekend, he reiterated his support for the uprising, writing that Iran may be closer to freedom “than ever before.”
Rubio spoke Saturday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the Iran protests and regional issues in Syria and Gaza, officials said, as concerns grow that any U.S. response could trigger a broader regional confrontation.
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