US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he departs from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on Jan. 9, 2026.
Brendan Smialowski | AFP | Getty Images
President Donald Trump is weighing options to take action against Iran, according to multiple reports on Sunday.
The president has been shown potential plans, ranging from possible military strikes to action that doesn’t include the military, according to MS Now and other media outlets, citing U.S. officials. Trump aides are set to brief the president Tuesday on measures, including military, cyber and economic, to follow through on his threats, according to reports.
Trump has threatened to intervene in Iran in recent days, warning its leaders against using force against protestors. On Saturday, the president said the U.S. is “ready to help.”
The White House and U.S. Defense Department did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
The discussion of possible intervention comes as Iran’s clerical leadership is facing the biggest anti-government protests since 2022. More than 500 people have been killed amid a third week of protests and an ongoing economic crisis, according to human rights agencies. Iran’s government has intensified its crackdown on protestors, including a reported internet blackout.
Iran has been an Islamic Republic since 1979, after the U.S.-backed Shah was deposed by Ayatollah Khomenei. His protégé, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also known as the Supreme Leader, is now in charge.
With an inflation rate above 50%, Iran — a country of 92 million people — has one of the highest inflation rates in the world.
Trump earlier this week threatened military intervention if Iran moves to crush the protests. Tehran warned on Sunday that it would retaliate against Israeli and U.S. military bases in the event of U.S. strikes on Iran.
Some U.S. lawmakers from both sides of the aisle expressed skepticism about the prospect of the U.S. intervening with Iran.
“I don’t think it’s the job of the American government to be involved with every freedom movement around the world,” Republican senator Rand Paul of Kentucky said Sunday on ABC News’ “This Week.”
Paul argued that bombing Iran risks rallying its citizens to the government’s side.
Senate Intelligence Vice Chair Mark Warner, D-Va., said on “Fox News Sunday” that history shows the dangers of U.S. intervention, arguing the U.S.-backed 1953 overthrow of Iran’s government triggered a series of events that eventually led to the rise of the country’s Islamic regime in the 1970s.
Others were more hawkish, arguing it is in the U.S.’s best interests to act.
On Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., urged Trump to “embolden the protesters and scare the hell out of the regime.”
“If I were you, Mr. President, I would kill the leadership that are killing the people,” he said.
This story is developing. Please check back for updates.