Trump Has Now Threatened Iran With US Military Intervention And Iran Warned It Is "Prepared For War”
"The military's looking at it and we're looking at some very strong options," Trump said.
US president Donald Trump said the US is looking at “very strong options,” including military intervention, in Iran in response to Iran’s deadly crackdown on anti-government protests, while Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araqchi warned Iran is “prepared for war.”
In mid-December, the Iranian rial reached its lowest at 1.42 million to US$1, and official records showed inflation exceeded 42% in December alone, sharply increasing the cost of goods.
On Dec. 28, merchants in Iran’s capital Tehran began protesting soaring prices, shutting down shops in parts of the city.
The protests have since spread nationwide with people protesting in more than 300 locations across all of Iran’s 31 provinces, according to the US-based Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA).
Iranian authorities have violently cracked down on the protests, launching a campaign of mass arrests, including children under the age of 18.
As protests entered its 12th day, on Thursday, Jan. 8, videos showed protesters taking to the streets chanting “Death to the dictator” and “Death to the Islamic Republic”, according to AP.
A few hours later, the global cybersecurity monitor, Netblocks, confirmed that Iran was “in the midst of a nationwide internet blackout”.
Iranian authorities have not acknowledged the internet blackout that has been ongoing for at least five days.
Internet blackouts are often used to “limit coordination, information-sharing, and the dissemination of protest footage”, according to the Human Rights Activist News Agency.
More than 496 protesters and 48 security personnel have been killed, with more than 10,600 people, according to HARNA.
Late on Sunday, Jan. 11, Trump said the US is considering military intervention if more protesters are killed.
"The military's looking at it and we're looking at some very strong options," Trump said.
In response, on Monday, Jan. 12, Araghchi warned that Iran is “prepared for war,” but is also “ready for negotiations.”
He said Trump's warning motivated terrorists to target protesters and security forces to invite foreign intervention, adding that the situation has come “under total control.”
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