The US has let it be known that all options are on the table when it comes to taking military action against Iran if the killings of protesters continue. According to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, President Donald Trump and his team have made it clear to Tehran that any further bloodshed would result in "grave consequences."
Leavitt's comments come after a day where Trump appeared to temper his earlier rhetoric, saying he had received assurances from the Iranian government that the killings of demonstrators had ceased. However, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has denied this, stating that hanging is not an option for dealing with protesters.
Meanwhile, thousands of Iranians have continued to take to the streets in mass demonstrations against soaring inflation and a devalued currency. Activist groups estimate that over 1,000 demonstrators have been killed in these protests, while the Iranian government claims more than 100 security officers have lost their lives in attacks during the unrest.
Despite Trump's softer tone, tensions remain high, with the US imposing fresh sanctions on Iran. The measures targeted several officials accused of orchestrating the Iranian government's brutal response to the demonstrations.
In a statement that left many questioning its sincerity, Iranian Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh warned that his country would use all means necessary to suppress what he described as "savage armed terrorists." This rhetoric only serves to heighten the uncertainty surrounding the situation on the ground in Iran, where a nationwide internet blackout has been ongoing for over a week.
As the situation continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the United States and Iran are locked in a delicate dance of tension and threat. Both sides have made it clear that they will not back down, leaving the international community holding its breath as it waits to see what happens next.
Leavitt's comments come after a day where Trump appeared to temper his earlier rhetoric, saying he had received assurances from the Iranian government that the killings of demonstrators had ceased. However, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has denied this, stating that hanging is not an option for dealing with protesters.
Meanwhile, thousands of Iranians have continued to take to the streets in mass demonstrations against soaring inflation and a devalued currency. Activist groups estimate that over 1,000 demonstrators have been killed in these protests, while the Iranian government claims more than 100 security officers have lost their lives in attacks during the unrest.
Despite Trump's softer tone, tensions remain high, with the US imposing fresh sanctions on Iran. The measures targeted several officials accused of orchestrating the Iranian government's brutal response to the demonstrations.
In a statement that left many questioning its sincerity, Iranian Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh warned that his country would use all means necessary to suppress what he described as "savage armed terrorists." This rhetoric only serves to heighten the uncertainty surrounding the situation on the ground in Iran, where a nationwide internet blackout has been ongoing for over a week.
As the situation continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the United States and Iran are locked in a delicate dance of tension and threat. Both sides have made it clear that they will not back down, leaving the international community holding its breath as it waits to see what happens next.
I mean, on one hand, I think Trump's been pretty clear about his stance and all that, but then again, he did kinda back down a bit, which makes me question if he was ever really serious in the first place 
. And what's with Iran being all hardline and stuff? Like, shouldn't they be trying to calm things down instead of escalating the situation? 
IT'S LIKE THE WHOLE WORLD IS HOLDING ITS BREATH WAITING FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN NEXT. I MEAN, ON ONE HAND, TRUMP SEEMS TO BE TRYING TO CALM THINGS DOWN WITH HIS SOFT TONE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THE US IS IMPOSING NEW SANCTIONS AND THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT IS GETTING ALL AGGRESSIVE WITH THEIR DEFENSE MINISTER TALKING ABOUT SUPPRESSING "SAVAGE ARMED TERRORISTS"!!! IT'S LIKE A BIG GAME OF CHESS WHERE BOTH SIDES ARE WAITING FOR EACH OTHER TO MAKE A MOVE.
... if we're talking military action now, it's gonna be a disaster 
... what if things get even worse?... the internet blackout doesn't help, people can't access info about what's happening... I just hope someone can bring both sides to the table and find a peaceful solution 
I mean, 1k+ ppl already dead & we're still talking military action? like, can't we just talk it out or something? 
I've got a friend who's Iranian and she's been saying the same thing - 'when will they learn?' 
We should be supporting these protesters not threatening them with more violence 
I'm all for accountability but this is getting ridiculous 
The internet blackout in Iran is like, super concerning too 
Can someone please just tell us what's going on? 
.
. I mean, can we really trust them? Their Defence Minister's rhetoric about "savage armed terrorists" just sounds like a load of BS 
. We should be urging diplomacy and dialogue instead of resorting to threats and sanctions. It's time for some level-headedness in this situation 
at the same time, the iranian government seems pretty united on defending themselves... but those "savage armed terrorists" comment? 
and let's be real, trump's been all over the place with his statements - sometimes it seems like he's tryin' to provoke them. 
Iran's got a death wish 
.
meanwhile the world is just holding its breath waiting to see what happens next 
Can we just try to find a way to resolve this peacefully for once? 
and honestly i'm so done with the international community just standing around watching this unfold 
what's the plan here? are we really gonna let these two superpowers go toe to toe without any consequences for the ppl caught in the middle 
.
. What's really going on here is that Trump and his team are trying to scare Iran into backing down over their protests. Newsflash: it won't work 
.
. It never ends well for anyone involved 
. The real question is, what's in it for the US? Is it just a case of "we don't like you" or is there something more to it? 
️.
. Until then, we're stuck with this endless cycle of threats and retaliation 
