After declaring Iran was in “huge hassle” and near crossing a pink line over its crackdown on anti-government protests, members of President Donald Trump’s nationwide safety workforce have been anticipated to satisfy on the White Home on Tuesday to debate his choices for intervention within the Islamic Republic.
One U.S. official tells ABC Information that among the many choices into consideration are new sanctions towards key regime figures or towards Iran’s power or banking sectors.
In a web based submit Monday, Trump mentioned he was already ready to impose a 25% tariff towards “any nation doing enterprise with Iran” on “any and all enterprise being completed with america of America.”
White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt listens as President Donald Trump speaks to reporters whereas in flight on Air Pressure One to Joint Base Andrews, Md., Jan. 11, 2026.
Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
Former U.S. officers say different choices prone to land on the president’s desk would vary from large-scale navy assaults to extra focused strikes on particular Iranian leaders or police infrastructure which have helped the Iranian authorities allegedly violently put down protests.
The U.S. is also prone to take into account cyberattacks towards the federal government, in addition to on-line “affect operations” geared toward boosting the messaging of protesters on-line and undermining the Iranian authorities.
“I believe one factor President Trump is excellent at is all the time retaining all of his choices on the desk and air strikes can be one of many many, many choices on the desk for the commander in chief. Diplomacy is all the time the primary possibility for the president,” White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt informed reporters on Monday.
On the identical time, Leavitt mentioned the Iran regime’s public messaging is totally different from the non-public messaging being communicated to the White Home. “I believe the president has an curiosity in exploring these messages. Nevertheless, with that mentioned, the president has proven he is unafraid to make use of navy choices if and when he deems obligatory,” Leavitt added.
Mick Mulroy, an ABC Information contributor who served as deputy assistant secretary of protection for the Center East on the Pentagon, mentioned the president will doubtless obtain an intelligence evaluation on the influence of a direct navy strike and whether or not it may result in regime change.
“I imagine in the event that they selected to maneuver ahead [on a military strike] it is going to be centered on regime targets particular to controlling, or oppressing, the protests,” he mentioned. That would come with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Basij forces or different inner safety parts, he mentioned, which have been blamed for the deaths of the protestors.
Leavitt mentioned Iran’s overseas minister, Abbas Araghchi, is negotiating straight with Trump’s Particular Envoy Steve Witkoff. Araghchi on Monday had mentioned Iran is “ready” for conflict with america but additionally open to diplomatic negotiations.
On this body seize from footage circulating on social media from Iran confirmed protesters as soon as once more taking to the streets of Tehran regardless of an intensifying crackdown because the Islamic Republic stays minimize off from the remainder of the world in Tehran, Iran, Saturday Jan. 10, 2026. (UGC through AP)
The Related Press
Iranian overseas ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei mentioned the communication channel between Araghchi and Witkoff “stays open” and “every time obligatory, messages are exchanged via that channel,” in remarks made throughout a televised assembly in Tehran.
Particular Envoy Steve Witkoff speaks with ABC Information whereas showing on This Week, Might 18, 2025.
ABC Information
He added that “sure factors and concepts have been offered by the opposite facet,” referring to the U.S. Final Friday, amid reviews of protesters being killed in Iran, Trump informed reporters that Iran was in “huge hassle” and that the federal government in Tehran “higher not begin taking pictures as a result of we’ll begin taking pictures, too.“
“We’ll be hitting them very exhausting the place it hurts. And that does not imply boots on the bottom, however it means hitting them very, very exhausting the place it hurts,” he added.
Aboard Air Pressure One on Sunday evening, Trump mentioned Iranian officers had referred to as him over the weekend to barter and indicated a possible assembly is within the works. “They wish to negotiate. I believe they’re uninterested in being beat up by america,” he added. “We might meet with them. I imply — a gathering is being arrange, however we might need to act due to what’s occurring, earlier than the assembly, however a gathering is being arrange,” Trump mentioned.
Amongst these anticipated to be in attendance on Tuesday are Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Workers. The State Division mentioned Rubio spoke by cellphone this weekend to his counterparts in France and Cyprus to debate the continued protests in Iran. Rubio additionally spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in regards to the occasions unfolding in Iran, an Israeli official informed ABC Information.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio listens as President Donald Trump speaks throughout a gathering with oil firm executives within the East Room of the White Home in Washington, January 9, 2026.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP through Getty Photographs
The State Division has been posting in Farsi in current days on X, together with one submit warning Tehran: “Do not play video games with President Trump.” However one other main navy operation in Iran is taken into account by consultants to be much less doubtless by Trump than different choices due to the dangers concerned.
There are at present 30,000 U.S. troops deployed to the Center East and Persian Gulf area, together with 2,500 in Iraq and 1,000 in Syria. The Pentagon would doubtless wish to transfer further belongings to the world to assist shield these troops towards potential retaliatory strikes.
There are six Navy ships within the area, together with three guided missile destroyers, which might be able to defending troops towards ballistic missile threats.
At the moment, there isn’t a plane provider in both the Center East or Europe, with the united statesGerald Ford and its strike group at present within the Caribbean Sea after being moved there from the Mediterranean to assist conduct operations in Venezuela.
ABC Information’ Steve Beynon contributed to this report.
