Iran latest: Trump ‘unafraid’ to launch military attack over protests but wants diplomacy to be ‘first option’
Trump press sec doubles down on Iran strike threat after 599 protest deaths
- White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says President Donald Trump is still mulling strikes in Iran and is “unafraid to use lethal force or the might of the United States military.”
- However, she said Trump has “always expressed that diplomacy is the first option” after the president said on Truth Social that his administration would intervene to stop widespread violent retaliations against protesters in Iran.
- At least 599 people have died in demonstrations across the country, according to The Associated Press, and Iran has indicated it wants to negotiate but also stated it was “ready for war.”
- The U.S. bombed Iranian nuclear sites last year when it inserted itself into the 12-day war between Israel and Iran.
- Trump and his national security team are reportedly weighing a range of potential responses against Iran, including cyberattacks and direct strikes by the U.S. or Israel.