16 January 2026

What Are The Options, Military Or Otherwise, The US Has To Use Against Iran?

Ray Furlong

US military action against Iran appears to be back on the policy agenda in Washington amid the increasingly deadly crackdown on protesters in cities and towns across the country.

Unconfirmed reports say that more than 500 people have been killed — some rights groups say the death toll may be several times higher — in suppressing the uprising, one of the biggest challenges to clerical rule since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The demonstrations were sparked by spiraling inflation and a freefall of the currency, but have since turned into a broader protest against the country’s authorities.

Both Washington and Tehran have signaled that they are open to talks. But US President Donald Trump has said action may be taken anyway given reports of the brutal actions against protesters.

“We might meet with them. A meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what is happening before the meeting,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on January 11.

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