U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he departs from the South Lawn of the White House on January 9, 2026 in Washington, DC.
Brendan Smialowski AFP | Getty Images
President Donald Trump is weighing options for taking action against Iran, according to multiple reports on Sunday.
MS Now and other media outlets, citing U.S. officials, said the president has been presented with potential plans ranging from a possible military attack to actions that do not involve the military. Trump’s aides are expected to brief the president on Tuesday on military, cyber and economic measures to carry out his threats, according to reports.
President Trump has threatened to intervene in Iran in recent days and warned its leaders not to use force against protesters. The president said Saturday that the United States was “ready to help.”
The White House and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to CNBC’s requests for comment.
Discussions about a possible intervention come as Iran’s clerical leadership faces the largest anti-government protests since 2022. More than 500 people have been killed during three weeks of protests and the ongoing economic crisis, according to human rights organizations. The Iranian government has stepped up its crackdown on protesters, with reports of internet blackouts.
Iran has been an Islamic republic since 1979 after the US-backed Shah was deposed by Ayatollah Khomeni. Currently, his disciple Ayatollah Khamenei, also known as the Supreme Leader, is in charge.
Iran, with a population of 92 million, has one of the highest inflation rates in the world, with an inflation rate of over 50%.
President Trump earlier this week threatened military intervention if Iran moved to quell the protests. Tehran on Sunday warned that it would retaliate against Israel and American military bases if the United States attacked Iran.
Some U.S. lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have expressed skepticism about the possibility of U.S. intervention in Iran.
“I don’t think it’s the job of the American government to be involved in every freedom movement around the world,” Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said Sunday on ABC News’ “This Week.”
Paul argued that bombing Iran risks rallying the population to the government’s side.
Senate Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-Va.) said on “Fox News Sunday” that history shows the dangers of U.S. intervention, arguing that the U.S.-backed overthrow of Iran’s government in 1953 set off a chain of events that ultimately led to the rise of the country’s Islamic regime in the 1970s.
Others took a more hawkish view, arguing that it was in America’s best interest to act.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R.S., on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” urged President Trump to “empower the protesters and thoroughly threaten the administration.”
“Mr. President, if I were you, I would kill the leaders who are killing our people,” he said.
This story is developing. Please check back for the latest information.
