Iran protests latest: Trump briefed on ‘strike options’ as Iranian military tightens grip on protesters

Rights groups say at least 116 people have been killed since protests erupted in Iran

by James C. Reynolds, Shahana Yasmin & Dan Haygarth

US president Donald Trump has reportedly been briefed on possible military strike options, as Washington weighs how to respond to Iran's crackdown on mass anti-government protests.

This comes as Iran’s security establishment moved to tighten its grip on the unrest. Iranian authorities warned that protesters could face the death penalty, while the military accused foreign "enemies" of fuelling the unrest. It urged citizens to remain alert to what it described as “enemy plots”.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said its intelligence wing had arrested a foreign national suspected of spying for Israel, as officials blamed the US and Israel for inciting unrest. State media also said around 100 people described as “armed rioters” had been detained.

Trump has meanwhile stepped up his rhetoric, saying on social media that the US “stands ready to help” Iranians protesting against clerical rule, after earlier warning that US forces were “locked and loaded” if demonstrators were killed.

Rights groups say at least 116 people have been killed since protests erupted over Iran’s collapsing currency and widened into calls for the removal of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Demonstrations in support of protesters have also taken place abroad, including in London.

This Iranian uprising could be as pivotal as the French Revolution

As violent clashes continue across Iran, the end of the Islamic regime could prove even more consequential for the world than the fall of the Berlin Wall. A far better comparison would be the storming of the Bastille, says Mark Almond – and it may prove just as bloody.

Netanyahu says Israel monitoring situation in Iran

Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is speaking about the burgeoning situation in Iran.

He said Israel is closely monitoring developments and hopes Iran will soon be freed from tyranny.

ICYMI: Rubio and Netanyahu discuss Iran

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke over the phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, according to Axios reporter Barak Ravid.

The pair were said to have discussed the protests in Iran along with Gaza and Syria.

Iran has accused Israel and the US of conspiring to encourage protests. Netanyahu discussed the possibility of renewed strikes with Trump at the end of December.