Trump Weighs Iran Options as Lawmakers Clash Over Military Response to Protests

Asked how close the president was to launching strikes and whether Gulf states had dissuaded him, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed what she called speculative reporting based on anonymous sources.

"The truth is only President Trump knows what he's going to do and a very, very small team of advisers are read into his thinking on that," Leavitt told reporters.

She said the president continues to closely monitor developments inside Iran while keeping military options available. Leavitt added that Trump had been informed that planned executions in Iran would stop, and that "we have seen 800 people, their lives have been spared as a result of that."

"The president continues to closely monitor, but also keep all of his options on the table," she said.

The administration's posture comes amid mounting political debate in Washington over how far the United States should go as protests spread across Iran and the regime responds with lethal force, mass arrests and communications blackouts.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gregory W. Meeks warned that US military action could undermine the protest movement rather than support it.

"I stand in solidarity with the Iranian people, who are making their voices heard in opposition to a brutal regime," Meeks said. He cautioned that military action "risks doing the opposite: silencing an organic movement, strengthening the regime's narrative, and inflicting civilian harm."

Meeks argued that "any lasting change in Iran will come from the courage of the Iranian people marching for dignity and freedoms, not from US military strikes," and urged the administration to fully consult Congress before taking any action.

He also raised concerns about the risk of Iranian retaliation, the safety of US troops and diplomats in the region, and coordination with allies, "particularly Israel," warning of the danger of a broader regional conflict.

In contrast, Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso voiced strong support for Trump's pressure campaign and framed the protests as a turning point for the regime.

"I rise today to stand with the brave people of Iran," Barrasso said on the Senate floor, noting that protests had spread to "185 cities in all 31 provinces of Iran."

He accused the Iranian leadership of unleashing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps against civilians and said "credible reports estimate that thousands - perhaps tens of thousands - are dead."

Barrasso praised Trump's record, saying, "I applaud President Trump's leadership on Iran. His strategy has brought Iran to this breaking point." He cited the US withdrawal from the nuclear deal, the rebuilding of sanctions and the "Maximum Pressure" campaign as factors weakening the regime.

"A weak Iran is a safer America," he said, calling for tougher enforcement against Iran's so-called "Ghost Fleet" of oil-smuggling vessels and warning that "every dollar we deny the Iranian government is one less bullet they can fire at their own people."

Beyond the debate over military force, lawmakers are also pressing the administration to act against Iran's communications blackout, which has cut protesters off from the outside world.

In a bipartisan letter led by Reps. Dave Min and Claudia Tenney, lawmakers urged Trump to direct the executive branch to expand support for internet-freedom technologies, including virtual private networks and emerging tools that could bypass state-imposed shutdowns.

Separately, Rep. Randy Weber led a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling on the State Department to continue publicly condemning the regime's violent repression, including reported attacks on hospitals and medical facilities, which lawmakers said could constitute serious violations of international law.

The White House has said Trump recently spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but has not disclosed details of that conversation. Leavitt confirmed the contact but declined to say when it occurred or what was discussed.

Publicly, Trump has signaled that his response could hinge on the regime's behavior. After saying earlier that "help is on its way," he later welcomed reports that Iran would halt executions, posting "Good news" and adding, "Hopefully, it will continue!"

- IANS