Unrest in Iran intensifies as official says Trump briefed on new options for military strikes. The US President, Donald Trump, has been briefed on possible military options in Iran amid escalating unrest and a death toll that continues to rise.
A U.S. official said the briefing was provided by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Pentagon officials in response to mounting concerns about Iranian behavior following the killing of top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani in January. The remarks came as thousands of protesters took to the streets across Iran, demanding greater freedoms and calling for an end to US influence over the region.
The developments come amid a deteriorating relationship between the US and Iran, which has been marked by a series of provocative incidents, including the assassination of Soleimani by a U.S. drone strike last month. The killing sparked outrage in Iran, with widespread protests breaking out across the country.
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday called Trump's decision to kill Soleimani an act of "state terrorism" and vowed that Iran would not back down from its goal of achieving a nuclear deal. Meanwhile, US officials say that there are still no plans for a military strike against the country.
As tensions between Washington and Tehran escalate, concerns are growing among lawmakers about the potential for a wider conflict in the region. The situation is fluid, with developments unfolding rapidly.
A U.S. official said the briefing was provided by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Pentagon officials in response to mounting concerns about Iranian behavior following the killing of top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani in January. The remarks came as thousands of protesters took to the streets across Iran, demanding greater freedoms and calling for an end to US influence over the region.
The developments come amid a deteriorating relationship between the US and Iran, which has been marked by a series of provocative incidents, including the assassination of Soleimani by a U.S. drone strike last month. The killing sparked outrage in Iran, with widespread protests breaking out across the country.
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday called Trump's decision to kill Soleimani an act of "state terrorism" and vowed that Iran would not back down from its goal of achieving a nuclear deal. Meanwhile, US officials say that there are still no plans for a military strike against the country.
As tensions between Washington and Tehran escalate, concerns are growing among lawmakers about the potential for a wider conflict in the region. The situation is fluid, with developments unfolding rapidly.
This whole thing with Iran is getting crazy! Trump being briefed on military options makes me think things could go either way... like, what if they don't take the bait and calm down? 
Meanwhile, I'm all about people's freedom to protest - who doesn't want to be able to express themselves without fear of retaliation? #FreeSpeechMatters 
And can we talk about how the Soleimani killing has escalated tensions even more? It feels like a never-ending cycle of revenge and retaliation... 
I'm keeping my eyes on this situation, but at the same time, I hope world leaders can find a way to communicate without all the aggression 
#PeaceFirst 
Trump's been briefed on some new options for military strikes in Iran? Because what could possibly go wrong, right? 
I mean, it's not like we've seen this all before or anything. The "state terrorism" comment from Khamenei just makes me LOL - sounds like something my uncle would say after a few too many glasses of wine 
...
meanwhile in iran, people are losing it, thousands on the streets demanding change, can't wait to see how this all plays out 
I'm getting really worried about this whole Iran situation... it's like they're stuck in this endless cycle of retaliation and escalation. I mean, what did Trump expect would happen after killing Soleimani? 
It's all so messy and complicated... can't we just try to find some common ground? 
... I can only imagine how tense and worried people in Iran must be feeling right now 
. Thousands of protesters taking to the streets demanding change is not something that anyone should have to go through. Can't even begin to fathom what it's like to see friends and family get hurt or killed over something as complex as politics 
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the people of iran are already suffering enough with all these protests and killings 
. let's try to stay informed but not get too caught up in the drama 
. maybe we should be thinking about how to promote more understanding and empathy between different cultures & governments 
meanwhile us officials are all "nope no plans for war" but like what's gonna happen when some iranian general decides to retaliate with a nuke?! 
and btw Pompeo is super shady rn 
his briefing with trump was probably just a smokescreen to get everyone distracted from the real issue at hand 
... I mean, have we really learned nothing from that drone strike debacle? Another military strike could easily escalate things and lead to even more bloodshed. It's like we're just playing with fire over there 
. And what about the Iranian people who are already suffering? We should be trying to de-escalate tensions, not fuel them up 
️. I'm all for making tough decisions as a leader, but this one seems like a recipe for disaster... can't we think of something else to do? 
iran is just getting more intense by the day. thousands of people protesting everywhere, death toll keep rising... and now trump's been briefed on military options? 
the situation is super fluid right now, dont know whats gonna happen next... just hoping for peace or something 
thousands of people marchin in the streets and its getting super intense 
and meanwhile ppl on both sides are losing their lives 
i wish there was a way to calm everyone down and get a conversation started that actually makes sense 
. Can't even get a decent discussion going with all the back-and-forth about what it means for Iran and the US 
! Like, what if there was a nuclear deal or something? We need stability in the Middle East, fer shure