Trump says US closely monitoring Iran, mulling options

María Paula Mijares Torres and Courtney Subramanian, Bloomberg News on Jan 11, 2026

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President Donald Trump said that the U.S. is closely monitoring the protests in Iran and is mulling potential options as the Islamic Republic faces its third week of nationwide protests, the largest since 2022.

“We’re looking at it very seriously. The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters Sunday on Air Force One as he returned to Washington from his Mar-a-Lago home. “We’ll make a determination.”

The mass protests across Iran, sparked by a currency crisis and economic collapse but increasingly aimed at the ruling system, have become the most serious challenge to the Islamic Republic since 1979.

There have been more than 540 confirmed deaths in the Iranian protests and over 10,000 arrests, as reported by the Human Rights Activist News Agency, which is tracking protests in 186 cities across all of Iran’s 31 provinces. Communications remain largely cut off, which has made it difficult to track the full scope of the protest movement.

Trump said Sunday that he may explore how to help restore internet communications via Elon Musk’s Starlink service.

“We may get the internet going, if that’s possible,” Trump told reporters. “We may speak to Elon Musk. I’m going to call him as soon as I’m finished with you.”

While President Masoud Pezeshkian struck a conciliatory tone and urged dialogue, other officials warned of swift trials and even the death penalty as unrest spreads and fatalities mount.

Trump has openly backed protesters and hinting at U.S. military action against the regime of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, unsettling allies and rivals alike.

“Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!,” Trump posted on social media on Saturday.

In response, Iran has warned the U.S. and Israel it will retaliate if it’s attacked.