U.S. intelligence tells Trump Iran’s government is at weakest point since 1979

President Trump has received multiple U.S. intelligence reports indicating that the Iranian government’s position is weakening, according to several people familiar with the information. The reports say the government’s hold on power is at its weakest point since the shah was overthrown in the 1979 revolution.

They say protests that erupted late last year shook elements of the Iranian government, reaching into areas officials had thought were strongholds of support for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and that Iran’s economy is historically weak. The accounts note that demonstrations spread in January after sporadic protests began in late December, and that officials resorted to a heavy‑handed crackdown that further alienated wide swaths of the population.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement that “President Trump is consistently briefed on intelligence matters around the world” and that he continues to closely monitor the situation. The U.S. military has been building up forces in the region: the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, accompanied by three warships equipped with Tomahawk missiles, entered the Central Command area of responsibility as of Monday, a U.S.

official said. Officials said the carrier could act within a day or two if ordered; the United States has also sent additional F-15E attack planes, deployed more Patriot and THAAD defenses, and placed long-range bombers on a higher-than-usual alert.

Key Topics

Politics, Donald Trump, Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran Protests, Uss Abraham Lincoln