President Donald Trump signaled on Saturday that the United States may be preparing for potential military action against Iran as unrest continues inside the country and Tehran intensifies efforts to suppress what it describes as foreign-directed riots.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!” The statement follows a series of warnings by Trump in recent days in which he threatened U.S. action if Iranian authorities were to kill protesters, previously claiming the United States was “locked and loaded” to “rescue” demonstrators and help Iranians achieve what he described as freedom.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday that senior Trump administration officials have begun early-stage discussions on possible strike options against Iran to back up the president’s warnings. According to the report, the talks remain preliminary and focused on contingency planning, with no consensus reached on whether military action should be taken.
At the same time, Israeli media has reported that Israeli military intelligence does not believe the current protests have sufficient momentum or organizational capacity to pose a serious threat to the Iranian government. That assessment has led some observers to suggest that advocates of military action may view the current unrest as a narrowing window to strike Iran while instability exists.
The protests began in late December as demonstrations over economic conditions before escalating into large-scale riots in multiple cities. Skeptics argue the unrest is being used by the United States and Israel as a pretext for a conflict with Iran that may have already been under consideration.
The timing of the unrest has also drawn scrutiny. The protests began shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago, during which Trump publicly signaled support for Israel should it choose to strike Iran over its ballistic missile program.
Iranian officials have accused foreign governments of orchestrating and financing the unrest. China publicly echoed that position earlier this week, with Beijing’s Foreign Ministry stating, “China stands firmly against external interference in Iran.” Russia has also weighed in, signaling acceptance of Tehran’s handling of the situation by reiterating Moscow’s position of not commenting on Iran’s internal affairs.
The violence peaked over the past several days, with dozens of protesters and security personnel reportedly killed. Government buildings, mosques, and private property were set on fire in several cities. By Saturday night, however, visible unrest appeared to have declined significantly, with no major demonstrations reported in Tehran.
Iran has imposed a near-total internet blackout in an effort to disrupt coordination among protest groups. In response, Elon Musk announced that Starlink satellite internet had been activated in Iran, a move Tehran is reportedly attempting to counter through jamming efforts.
Some analysts have pointed to a broader pattern of destabilizing events occurring over the same period. The unrest in Iran coincided with a reported Ukrainian drone attempt to assassinate Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 29, followed days later by the U.S. kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro on January 3. While no direct evidence links these events, skeptics argue the timing raises questions about coordinated pressure against U.S. adversaries.