US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the US military was considering “very strong options” for possible military action against Iran, amid reports of deadly crackdowns on the country’s growing anti-government protests.Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump suggested that Iran may have crossed a red line it had previously set on killing protesters. “They’re starting to look like it is,” he said when asked if that line had been crossed.“Some people who shouldn’t be killed have been killed… When you talk about leaders, I don’t know if they are leaders or just rule by force… But we and the military are taking this very seriously and are looking at some very strong options… That’s what we’re going to do.” Make a decision,” he added.Trump’s comments came as nationwide protests against Iran’s leadership entered their third week. Protesters again filled the streets of Tehran and Mashhad, the country’s two largest cities, as violence escalated. Human rights groups monitoring the unrest say at least 538 people have been killed so far.Meanwhile, Iran issued a stark warning on Sunday, saying that US military bases in the region and Israel would be considered “legitimate targets” if Washington launched an attack on the Islamic Republic.The threat was made by the Speaker of Iran’s Parliament, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, as lawmakers streamed to the podium in Parliament chanting “Death to America!” shouted.Qalibaf said the government would respond forcefully to the unrest, saying: “The Iranian people should know that we will take the strongest possible action against them and punish those who are arrested.”He also issued a direct warning to Israel, which he described as “occupied territory,” and to U.S. forces in the region, highlighting the possibility of preemptive action.“In the event of an attack on Iran, both the occupied territory and all American military centers, bases and ships in the region will be our legitimate targets,” Qalibaf said. “We are not limiting ourselves to post-action response and will act based on objective signs of threat.”The protests continued overnight and were described as more intense and far-reaching than the hijab demonstrations of 2022. As of Sunday morning, around 192 people were reportedly killed, but the actual number remains unclear due to an ongoing internet outage. High-ranking regime officials signaled a hardened stance. Some suggested protesters should face the death penalty, while another compared them to terrorists.
