U.S. steps up planning for possible action in Iran

President Trump is scheduled to be briefed Tuesday on options to respond to the protests in Iran, according to U.S. officials, a sign the president is considering reprimanding the regime for its crackdown on demonstrators as he has repeatedly threatened.

- Alexander Ward & Lara Seligman

Trump aides are set to brief him Tuesday on measures, including military and economic, to follow through on his threats.

(AP)

The president’s planned meeting with senior adminis tration officials will be a dis cussion about the next steps, which could include boosting antigovernment sources online, deploying secretive cyber weapons against Iranian military and civilian sites, placing more sanctions on the regime and military strikes, the officials said.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine are expected to attend the Tuesday meeting, the officials said.

Trump, speaking Sunday to reporters on Air Force One, said he had been reviewing military options to strike Iran after the regime was “starting to” cross his red line of not killing protesters.

“We’re looking at some very strong options,” he said. If Iran retaliates to an American attack by targeting U.S. troops in the region, “we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”

He also said “the leaders of Iran called” to negotiate. “We may have to act before a meeting. ... A meeting is being set up. Iran called. They want to negotiate.”

Trump isn’t expected to make a final decision at the meeting as the deliberations are at an early stage. On Sunday, Iran’s parliamentary speaker threatened to attack American military bases in the Middle East if the U.S. acted first.

During preliminary discussions between senior administration staff last week, aides expressed concern that the U.S. or Israel acting in the name of protesters could fuel regime propaganda that hostile outside powers are behind the countrywide uprising, some of the officials said.