‘Airstrikes would be one of the many, many options’ that the administration could use, Leavitt said.
The United States could launch airstrikes on Iran, as President Donald Trump has publicly signaled that he is weighing military options against the country’s regime amid days of violence, the White House said on Jan. 12.
“One thing President Trump is very good at is always keeping all of his options on the table,” White House press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Jan. 12, responding to a question about strikes on Iran.
“And airstrikes would be one of the many, many options that are on the table for the commander-in-chief. Diplomacy is always the first option for the president.”
She said the statements Iranian officials made in public are “quite different” from messages that they have sent to the White House, also making note of comments Trump made to reporters on Jan. 11 about possible negotiations with the regime.
Trump is willing to look into what was said in private, Leavitt said, but she stressed that Trump could still use military options against Iran if available.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Jan. 12 that the situation around protests was “under total control” after demonstrations spread over the past weekend. He said internet service would be resumed in coordination with security authorities.
An Epoch Times review suggests that a number of Iranian state-affiliated media websites were not operating as of the afternoon of Jan. 12, including Tasnim News, the Fars News Agency, and the Islamic Republic News Agency. PressTV, an English-language outlet, appears to still be online.
A U.S.-based human rights group, Human Rights Activists News Agency, said in its most recent update that more than 500 protesters have died in the unrest, while another group indicated that as many as 2,000 may have died in recent days. Rights groups also say that more than 10,000 people have been detained in a clampdown by the government.
The Epoch Times has not been able to independently verify those figures. The flow of information out of the country has been slowed or blocked by a nationwide internet blackout since last week.
Iran has not given an official death toll but blames the bloodshed on U.S. or Israeli operations and what it calls Israeli- and U.S.-backed terrorists who are allegedly fomenting discord. State-run media outlets such as PressTV have focused on apparent counterprotests and comments made by top Iranian officials about attacking the United States.
Araghchi told the outlet on Jan. 12 that a total of 53 mosques and 180 ambulances have been set on fire since the protests began.
On Jan. 11, Trump said U.S. officials may meet with Iranian officials, noting that he was in contact with opposition members in the country. He also warned that the U.S. military could take action over violence against protesters there.
