It has been 10 days since Trump said the United States was "locked and loaded" and ready to "come to the rescue" if Iran's clerical state kills demonstrators who have taken to the streets in major numbers.Since then, Trump has kept threatening a military option, even as hundreds of people have died, according to rights groups.Iran has been a sworn foe of the United States since the 1979 Islamic revolution toppled the pro-Western shah. The downfall of the Islamic republic in power since then would transform the Middle East.But Trump has previously lashed out against "regime change" as a goal, especially pointing to lessons from US involvement in Iraq, a smaller country.Trump on Monday exercised economic leverage, announcing 25 percent tariffs on Iran's trading partners, and he has spoken of ways to forcibly restore internet access shut by Tehran.The two governments have also revealed that they have been in communication, coordinated by Trump's friend and roving envoy Steve Witkoff.Trump in June ordered strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in support of an Israeli campaign.While Trump had previously spoken of a diplomatic resolution, the attack was in line with his inclination, as seen again recently in Venezuela, for one-off military operations he quickly claims as successes.Vali Nasr, a professor at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, noted 130 to 150 Iranian cities have seen protests. "The challenge of the strikes is how to make sure they don't lead to the disbursement of protesters rather than the amplification of protests, if the strikes go off the rails -- if targeting is poor, if intelligence is poor," he said.He said the impact would also be high if Trump finally decides not to strike.Inaction would "play into the regime's narrative of painting America as not able to actually come through," Ben Taleblu said.Pahlavi and a number of Republican hawks have voiced opposition to diplomacy, warning it would only give the Islamic republic a lifeline.But Mohammad Ali Shabani, editor of the Amwaj.media site that closely follows Iran, believed many Iranians would welcome a deal that eases sanctions and "lifts the shadow of war.
Author: Global Desk
Published at: 2026-01-12 23:46:48
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