Washington – As protests continue across Iran following a government crackdown, former U.S. president Donald Trump is reportedly considering military options, including targeted strikes, to bolster the opposition movement. Sources indicate the deliberations, revealed Thursday, involve weighing the risks and potential benefits of direct intervention as regional officials caution against the likelihood of quickly overthrowing the current leadership [[1]]. The discussions come amid heightened tensions and the recent deployment of a U.S. aircraft carrier to the Middle East, raising concerns about further escalating the conflict.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly considering a range of options in response to ongoing unrest in Iran, including targeted strikes against Iranian security forces and leaders in an effort to bolster the protest movement. The potential for direct U.S. intervention comes as demonstrations continue across Iran following a government crackdown on earlier protests.
Sources cited by Reuters and Al Arabiya revealed the deliberations on Thursday, January 29, 2026.
Regional officials in the Middle East have cautioned that air power alone would likely be insufficient to overthrow Iran’s long-ruling clerical leadership. The development underscores the complex challenges facing any potential military intervention in the region.
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Two sources within the U.S. government familiar with the discussions told Reuters that Trump is seeking to create conditions for “regime change” following a violent suppression of protests earlier this month, which reportedly resulted in numerous deaths.
According to these sources, Trump is weighing options that include strikes targeting commanders and institutions deemed responsible for the violence against demonstrators. The hope is that such actions would embolden protesters and provide them with the confidence to seize government and security buildings.
Trump has not yet made a final decision regarding any action against Iran, including whether to pursue a military course, according to one source and an unnamed U.S. official.
Another source within the U.S. administration, as reported by Reuters, indicated that advisors are also discussing more extensive strikes intended to have a long-term impact, potentially targeting Iranian-made missiles capable of reaching U.S. allies in the Middle East or Iran’s nuclear enrichment program.
Iran has so far refused to negotiate limitations on its missile program, which it views as a crucial deterrent against Israel.
The arrival of a U.S. aircraft carrier and accompanying warships in the Middle East this week has expanded Trump’s options for potential military action, following repeated threats of intervention in response to Iran’s crackdown on protesters.
However, several regional and Western officials, who were briefed on discussions within the White House, have expressed concerns that a U.S. strike could backfire, suppressing the protest movement rather than encouraging Iranians to return to the streets.
Alex Vatanka, Director of the Iran Program at the Middle East Institute, stated that without large-scale military defections, protests in Iran remain “heroic but outgunned.”
A Western source believes Trump’s apparent goal is to trigger a leadership change in Iran, rather than outright “regime overthrow,” a scenario similar to Venezuela, where U.S. intervention led to a presidential replacement without a complete governmental overhaul.
During a Senate hearing on Venezuela on Wednesday, January 28, Senator Marco Rubio expressed “hope” for a similar transition should Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, be removed from power, though he acknowledged the situation in Iran is far more complex.
Rubio admitted he had no clear understanding of who would take power if Khamenei were to lose control.
Despite this uncertainty, U.S. officials argue that a transition in Iran could break the nuclear impasse and potentially open the door to closer cooperative relations with the West. However, they caution that there is no clear successor to Khamenei.
In the event of a power vacuum in Iran, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is believed likely to seize control, strengthening hardline rule and further deepening the nuclear standoff and regional tensions.
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