ADDS MORE REMARKS BY TRUMP, BACKGROUND INFORMATION
By Diyar Guldogan
WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Donald Trump said Sunday that his administration is closely monitoring the situation in Iran and is considering "very strong options" as the reported death toll in ongoing protests continues to rise.
"These are violent — if you call them leaders — I don't know if they're leaders or just, they rule through violence. But, we're looking at it very seriously.
"The military is looking at it, and we're looking at some very strong options. We'll make a determination," Trump told reporters on Air Force One en route to Washington, DC, from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, where he spent the weekend.
Iran has been gripped by protests since late December over the sharp depreciation of its national currency and worsening economic conditions.
Trump also said he has been receiving hourly reports on Iran, without providing information about when where, or how the US would act.
Asked whether Iran had crossed a red line, Trump suggested that it was close to doing so.
“You know, they’re starting to, it looks like,” Trump said. “And there seem to be some people killed that aren’t supposed to be killed.”
Protests erupted on Dec. 28 at Tehran's Grand Bazaar over the sharp depreciation of the Iranian rial and worsening economic conditions, later spreading to several cities.
US-based rights group HRANA reported deaths of 490 protesters and 48 security personnel, with more than 10,600 people arrested, though no official casualty estimates exist.
Trump has warned on multiple occasions that the US would “come to the rescue” of Iranian protesters if the government used lethal force against them.
Trump was also asked about a warning by Iranian authorities that it would consider US military and commercial bases "legitimate targets" if the US were to strike Iranian positions.
“If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before,” Trump said. “They won’t even believe it. I have options that are so strong. So, I mean, if they did that, it’ll be met with a very, very powerful force.”
Last June, the US carried out airstrikes on three key Iranian nuclear facilities — Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan — as part of Operation Midnight Hammer during the brief Iran-Israel war.
In addition to military warnings, Trump said he was exploring ways to restore internet access in Iran amid widespread blackouts, saying he plans to speak with billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk on the issue.
"He's very good at that kind of thing, he's got a very good company," Trump said.