LONDON, UK – JANUARY 11: People take part in a rally in solidarity with Iranian protesters on January 11, 2026 in London, England.
Alicia Abodunde | Getty Images News | Getty Images
US President Donald Trump is bracing for possible intervention in Iran as Iran cracks down on protesters, reportedly leaving hundreds dead and cutting off internet access.
Possible next steps include strengthening online opposition sources, deploying cyberweapons to Iranian military and civilian facilities, and further sanctions or military strikes against the regime, the Wall Street Journal reported. Trump’s aides are expected to brief him on the possible intervention on Tuesday.
Politico also reported, citing unnamed officials familiar with the ongoing developments, that the options being presented to Trump range from targeted attacks inside Iran to aggressive cyberattacks.
“If the United States determines it needs to act to protect personnel or assets or protect energy flows, it will use a wide range of tools, from cyber and sabotage to drone and air and sea missile attacks,” said Matt Gertken, chief geopolitical strategist at BCA Research.
The United States could also attack nuclear or military infrastructure or government facilities to degrade the regime’s capabilities and “deter its destructive actions,” Gertken added.
Iran’s unrest, which began in late December over soaring prices and the collapse of Iran’s currency, has intensified and turned into widespread anti-government protests that threaten the Islamic regime.
Tehran stepped up action against protesters over the weekend, leaving more than 500 people dead, according to the US-based Human Rights Defenders News Agency. Iran on Sunday joined President Massoud Pezeshkian in accusing the United States and Israel of inciting the unrest and warning them against any intervention.
“Iran is far more capable of retaliating against the United States, particularly by attacking regional energy infrastructure,” Gerdken said, adding that the Trump administration “was not necessarily keen on destroying the regime” unless things got “so bad that the United States decided it couldn’t pass up the opportunity to intervene to force regime change.”
President Trump sets his sights on
The Trump administration’s strategy often “changes on a daily basis,” but his threats still carry weight because Iran has been on the president’s agenda for years and the unrest has swelled to “the most severe and widespread protests in years” outside of the administration’s control, Dan Yergin, vice chairman at S&P Global, told CNBC’s “Access Middle East.”
President Trump has openly supported Iranian protesters, telegraphing his intention to intervene multiple times on the Truth Social platform and saying the US would “rescue” Iranians if local authorities continued to kill protesters. “Iran wants freedom more than perhaps ever before. The United States stands ready to help!!!” President Trump said in a social media post on Saturday.
“We’re looking at it very seriously. We’re looking at the military, we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One after returning to Washington from his home in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, on Sunday. “We make a decision.”
The dilemma has reached its climax. A strong strike could undermine the regime’s repression efforts, but it could also increase cohesion within the regime and lead to broader escalation.
Danny Citrinowicz
Senior Researcher, National Security Institute
Politico reported that Trump was also considering non-kinetic measures, including cyber and covert action, noting that the US president was not expected to send US troops into the country and there would be no major movement of US military assets.
The United States is considering restoring internet communications in Iran as Iranian leaders have shut down internet and phone services in the country. President Trump told reporters, “If possible, we might spread the Internet.” “I may speak to Mr. Elon Musk. I will call you as soon as I am finished speaking with you.”Iran reportedly sabotaged Mr. Musk’s Starlink during recent protests.
Even if the U.S. administration is considering a “symbolic” kinetic attack, it could trigger “a broader escalation,” said Danny Sitrinowitz, a senior fellow at the National Security Institute.
“The dilemma is coming to a head. A strong strike could undermine the regime’s repression efforts, but at the same time it could increase cohesion within the regime and lead to broader escalation,” Citrinowicz said.
He added: “Given the rebels’ lack of leadership, such an attack may succeed operationally, but not strategically.”
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned during a session broadcast live on state television that if the United States attacked Iran, Israel and “all American military centers, bases and ships in the region would become legitimate targets.” Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei said last Friday that his government “will not back down” amid the protests.
The unrest comes as the Islamic republic becomes increasingly vulnerable as its leaders face rising domestic and internal tensions and public anger over a deepening economic crisis. The official currency, the rial, has lost half its value over the past year, dropping to an all-time low of around 1 million rials per dollar, according to LSEG data.
“Whatever the outcome, these protests will further damage the already crumbling legitimacy of a state system that is coming to an end,” said Sanam Vakil, head of the Middle East and North Africa program at Chatham House.
—CNBC’s Dan Murphy contributed to this article.
