US President Donald Trump has been briefed in recent days on fresh military strike options against Iran as he considers responding to the Islamic Republic's crackdown on protesters, The New York Times reported citing multiple US officials.
Trump has not reached a final decision, the report said citing US officials, but is seriously weighing authorizing a strike in response to the deadly crackdown on protests.
He has been presented with several options, including strikes on nonmilitary targets in Tehran, The New York Times reported citing unnamed sources.
Footage sent to Iran International from Kahrizak, south of Tehran, shows several dead bodies in body bags. According to eyewitness accounts accompanying the videos, dozens of bodies are visible at the site, with additional bodies reportedly located in another nearby industrial shed.
Videos earlier sent to Iran International from Fardis, Karaj, and Alghadir Hospital in eastern Tehran showed similar scenes of dead bodies falling on the ground, pointing to an unfolding mass killing that is not confined to a limited number of cities.
The internet shutdown that started on January 8 have made it impossible to obtain a full picture of events on the ground. However, the volume and consistency of incoming accounts suggest that lethal force is being widely used to disperse protesters.
The most conservative estimates indicate that at least 2,000 people have been killed over the past 48 hours. A doctor in the northern city of Rasht told Iran International that one hospital alone received at least 70 bodies.
"Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!" US President Donald Trump said in a post on his Truth Social account on Saturday, as demonstrators flooded the streets of Iran for another night.
Earlier in the day, Trump had once again voiced support for protests in Iran, reposting on Truth Social a post by Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham who praised State Secretary Marco Rubio’s backing of protesters and used the slogan “Make Iran Great Again.”
