Trump says military options remain on table as diplomacy touted over Iran

According to Independent.co, President Donald Trump is "unafraid" to use military options against Iran amid a brutal crackdown in which monitoring human rights groups say at least 648 protesters have been killed. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that airstrikes are among the "many, many options" the president is considering but that "diplomacy is always the first option for the president."

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi responded that "We are ready for war but also for dialogue," and warned that talk of military action could motivate "terrorists" to target protesters and security forces to provoke foreign intervention. The White House has also been reported to be weighing a range of potential responses, including cyber-attacks and direct strikes by the US or Israel, according to two people familiar with internal discussions, while Mr Trump said Tehran had been in touch and "they want to negotiate."

The situation has produced further human-rights and safety concerns: Iran Human Rights said a 23-year-old fashion student, Rubina Aminian, was shot dead on 8 January, and the US Department of State has advised American citizens to leave Iran immediately. For now, talks are being explored — Mr Trump said a "meeting is being set up" — even as it remains uncertain whether diplomatic efforts will avert other measures.

Key Topics

World, Donald Trump, Karoline Leavitt, Abbas Araghchi, Rubina Aminian, Iran Human Rights