Mazaj News (Web Desk) US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the people of Iran were closer to achieving freedom than ever before and stated that Washington was prepared to support them as protests continued to expand across the country.
“Iran is witnessing FREEDOM, perhaps like never before,” Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social. “The USA is ready to help!!!” He later echoed the same message in additional posts.
At the same time, US media outlets reported that Washington was considering possible military action against Iran.
Iran has been experiencing widespread demonstrations since late December, sparked mainly by the sharp fall of the Iranian rial and worsening economic conditions. The protests began on December 28 near Tehran’s Grand Bazaar and quickly spread to several other cities.
On Friday, Trump warned that Iran was facing serious trouble as unrest intensified. He said the United States was closely monitoring the situation and cautioned Iranian authorities against using deadly force on demonstrators.
Iranian officials, however, blamed the United States and Israel for instigating the unrest and warned that security agencies and the judiciary would take strict action against what they called “saboteurs.”
On Saturday, Trump also shared remarks by US Senator Lindsey Graham on Truth Social. In his post on X, the South Carolina senator warned Tehran that any crackdown on protesters would have consequences.
Trump further reposted a Fox News report claiming that a protester climbed the Iranian embassy in London, removed the current regime’s flag, and raised a pre-revolutionary symbol.
Meanwhile, reports in the US media suggested that the Trump administration was evaluating stronger measures. According to The Wall Street Journal, initial discussions had taken place regarding potential strikes against Iran.
Separately, the New York Post reported that Washington might conduct limited preliminary attacks on selected targets, though no timeline or specific locations were mentioned.
In another development, a retired US Navy officer called on the administration to increase digital support for Iranian protesters. Vice Admiral Robert Harward, a former deputy commander of US Central Command, urged the State Department to launch new initiatives to help Iranians access secure virtual private networks (VPNs).
Harward noted in an opinion piece for Fox News that around 86 percent of Iranians rely on VPNs to bypass internet restrictions and surveillance. He argued that expanding secure access during internet shutdowns would allow protesters to organise and communicate more safely.
He also recommended that the administration prepare a list of Iranian government institutions involved in suppressing free speech and violating human rights, including military command centers, cyber police units, and morality police facilities.