US President Donald Trump furiously tore a strip off a journalist after he was quizzed on American plans over Iran in the wake of violent unrest in the Middle Eastern country. Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in Iranian towns and cities, demonstrating against the ruling Islamic regime. Concerning reports claim hundreds of people have been killed and thousands arrested by the hardline authorities as they try to put down the revolt.
Trump previously warned Iran, which is ruled with an iron fist by Islamic Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, that America would “come to the rescue” of the Iranian people if the regime “violently kills peaceful protesters”. And speaking during a flight on Air Force One on Sunday, Trump doubled down, saying his national security team has been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran, including cyberattacks and direct strikes by the US.
He told reporters: “The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options.” Asked about Iran’s threats of retaliation, he said: “If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”
Trump said that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports of the death toll in Iran mount and the government continues to arrest protesters.
But when questioned by a journalist from CNN over whether Iran was taking “your threats seriously?”, the president came out fighting with his response.
He said: “Wouldn’t you say that they probably do at this point, after going through it for years with me?… Soleimani, al-Baghdadi, the Iran nuclear threat wiped out… What a stupid question.”
Trump was referencing the US air strike which killed General Qasem Soleimani in 2000, and further US air force strikes against suspected nuclear sites in Iran last summer. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, a terrorist and former leader of the Islamic State, was killed in a US military strike in Syria in 2019.
Trump said Iranian authorities wanted to “negotiate” with the United States, adding: “The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate.”
Iran earlier warned on Sunday that the US military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.
More than 10,600 people have been detained over the two weeks of protests in the country, according to US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. It said 496 protesters had been killed, as well as 48 members of the security forces.