Protests in Iran appeared to intensify over the weekend, representing the biggest challenge to the regime’s rule in years, as President Donald Trump considers ways to respond.
The mounting unrest comes as Tehran’s piecemeal efforts to address an economic crisis have done little to appease Iranians. Since protests began late last month, the government has offered words of sympathy, fired the central bank’s chief, and announced plans to provide most people with a monthly payment of about 1 million Iranian tomans—equivalent to $7.
Instead of spending $10 billion annually to subsidize imports, that money will instead go directly to 80 million Iranians in the form of credit to buy certain goods.
But the $7 monthly payments offer little relief to beleaguered consumers who are suffering from food inflation of 64%. It’s made worse by a 60% crash in the currency’s value since June, when Iran and Israel fought a 12-day war that was capped by the U.S. bombing of Tehran’s nuclear facilities.
Now, what began as a protest among merchants in Tehran’s bazaars has spread to students as well as Iran’s working and middle classes all across the country.
The security forces that keep the regime in power have not escaped hardship either. While human rights groups estimate hundreds have died from the government’s crackdown, Iranians say it’s not as severe as it could be.
“Security and law enforcement people are facing the same economic issues and high prices, themselves,” a protester in Tehran told the New York Times. “They are not fighting back wholeheartedly.”
Meanwhile, Trump has threatened Iran if the regime kills protesters and doubled down on that Friday, when he said the U.S. would “start shooting” if authorities fired on demonstrators.
With the violence worsening, Trump is looking at ways to follow through. Reports said that administration officials have already started discussing options to attack Iran again. On Sunday, sources told the Wall Street Journal that Trump will be briefed on Tuesday with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine also due to attend.
In addition to military strikes, other options include boosting antigovernment sources online, cyber attacks, and more economic sanctions, the report said.
But the Journal added that the Pentagon hasn’t sent any forces to the region and that the redeployment of the a USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier to South America means there are none in the Middle East or Europe now.
The U.S. raid on Venezuela last week to capture Nicolas Maduro could weigh on military considerations for Iran as a large armada of Navy ships remain in the Caribbean and continue to enforce a “quarantine” on the country’s oil.
But Trump has shown his appetite for more foreign intervention hasn’t abated, even as the reality of a years-long commitment to rebuild Venezuela’s shattered oil industry sets it.
On Sunday, he sent another warning via social media to Cuba, which had benefited from economic assistance when Maduro was in power but is now feeling more strains.
“THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA – ZERO!” Trump said in a post. “I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.”
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