President Trump has been briefed on a range of military and covert options to take against Iran, with officials saying the list goes far beyond traditional airstrikes. The briefing comes as protests sweep across the country, with at least 544 people killed by live ammunition or pellet gunfire.
The president's national security team will meet at the White House on Tuesday to discuss updated options, although it is unclear if Trump himself will attend. Trump has warned that he may intervene if Iranian forces continue to crack down on protesters, saying "we would get involved" and "hit them very hard where it hurts".
But the US military planners have also identified cyber operation and psychological campaign options, which could be used simultaneously with traditional force or as standalone measures. These tactics are designed to disrupt Iranian command structures, communications, and state-run media.
Cyber and psychological operations were not detailed by officials, but they suggest that Washington is preparing for scenarios where conflict extends beyond battlefield strikes to include sustained digital and influence campaigns.
The White House has confirmed that airstrikes remain one of many options on the table, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying "diplomacy is always the first option". However, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has lashed out at the US, claiming it is wrong to calculate about Iran.
The situation remains tense, with Iranian authorities cutting phone and internet services in several cities and state-controlled media airing video of mass casualties. Protests have taken place across all 31 provinces, with demonstrators calling for reform and greater freedoms.
Tensions between the two countries remain high, despite a possible meeting between US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
The president's national security team will meet at the White House on Tuesday to discuss updated options, although it is unclear if Trump himself will attend. Trump has warned that he may intervene if Iranian forces continue to crack down on protesters, saying "we would get involved" and "hit them very hard where it hurts".
But the US military planners have also identified cyber operation and psychological campaign options, which could be used simultaneously with traditional force or as standalone measures. These tactics are designed to disrupt Iranian command structures, communications, and state-run media.
Cyber and psychological operations were not detailed by officials, but they suggest that Washington is preparing for scenarios where conflict extends beyond battlefield strikes to include sustained digital and influence campaigns.
The White House has confirmed that airstrikes remain one of many options on the table, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying "diplomacy is always the first option". However, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has lashed out at the US, claiming it is wrong to calculate about Iran.
The situation remains tense, with Iranian authorities cutting phone and internet services in several cities and state-controlled media airing video of mass casualties. Protests have taken place across all 31 provinces, with demonstrators calling for reform and greater freedoms.
Tensions between the two countries remain high, despite a possible meeting between US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
i cant even imagine what's gonna happen next with trump n iran 
anyway, its like, super concerning that they're considering cyber ops & psychological campaigns as options... like, we dont wanna escalate things any further, you feel? 
also, 544 people killed is just crazy... my heart goes out to the fams of those who lost loved ones 
i hope the talks b/w us n iran can lead to something positive 
Trump's got some options cooking in the kitchen... and they're not just for dinner 
. Like, we need diplomacy to be the first option here, you know? But at the same time, it's hard to see how a lot of people are going to calm down with over 540 deaths already 
... Airstrikes or cyber ops can't even begin to fix this mess, and I'm worried about collateral damage too. It's gonna be a long night if Trump does decide to get involved 
. Can we please just talk some sense into these leaders already? 
. And what's up with Iran cutting off phone and internet services? It's like they're trying to cut us off from the truth 
. I just want some real progress on reform and freedoms for those people 
. Can't we all just talk it out instead of going to war? 
It's just... so unpredictable.
...one sec let me rewind to when this whole thing started...i was thinkin about how protesters in iran are just fightin for their basic human rights, u know? 
544 people killed is wild, no wonder they're all fired up 
i'm all for defending the country, but can't we find a more peaceful way to resolve conflicts? 
.
that's crazy. but at the same time, trump's been pretty vocal about taking action if things don't cool down down... and now there are even talks of psychological campaigns 
. i wonder wut iran's gonna do if usa does hit them hard tho 
The whole cyber op and psychological campaign thing sounds super sketchy 
I wish we knew more about these covert options and how they'll impact innocent civilians 
i'm so worried about how this is gonna play out...and what's with the cyber ops and psychological campaigns? is washington really thinking that can work as a substitute for real diplomacy? 
and trump's all like "we'd hit them hard" 
i just wanna know if anyone has any idea how this is all gonna play out... 
. So yeah, it's crazy that President Trump is getting briefed on all these military options, but at the same time, it's like, maybe they're actually trying to find a peaceful solution? Maybe he's just trying to prepare for all possibilities, you know? 
. And those cyber and psychological ops are like, whoa... I don't really get what they do, but it sounds super interesting 
.
. And even though tensions between the US and Iran are high, there's still hope that they can work something out 
.
, and Trump is all about 'hit them hard' 
. But what's with these cyber and psychological ops? Like, are we really gonna start messing with Iranian command structures and state-run media? 
544 people killed is wild... it's hard to see how this is gonna end well. I mean, diplomacy is supposed to be the first option, but Trump's all about the military approach 
. Like, can't we just try diplomacy for once? I mean, it's not like the US hasn't tried that already... 
. I guess that's what happens when one side gets all the attention and you're left with a bad case of FOMO