US President Donald Trump has publicly raised the prospect of American military intervention in Iran, as nationwide anti-government demonstrations continue to intensify. The President used his Truth Social platform to declare the United States "stands ready to help" the protest movement.
Unprecedented Scale of Unrest and Regime Crackdown
Human rights organisations report the death toll has surged past 500 people since the protests began, with Iran's Islamic regime escalating its violent crackdown on dissent. The unrest has now spread to 31 provinces, marking what analysts describe as the broadest and most significant challenge to Tehran's authority in years.
Former CIA operative and podcaster Mike Baker, speaking to Sunrise, highlighted the distinctive nature of the current wave. "They certainly look different now in terms of the number of provinces," Baker noted. "In the past, protests tended to be smaller, more isolated, or within a certain sector... This has a very broad range of supporters."
Pentagon Reviews Strike Options as Trump's Words Resonate
According to reports, the Pentagon and the White House National Security Council are actively reviewing a "target package" for potential strikes on Iran. This planning raises serious questions about whether the Trump administration will move from rhetoric to direct action.
Baker explained that such contingency planning is standard procedure in volatile global situations, especially given previous US strikes on Iran during the 12-day war in 2025. "Having a target package sitting on the shelf, that's not unusual because if things pop quickly, you do need to respond," he stated, while cautioning, "I wouldn't read too much into that just yet."
However, Baker emphasised that world leaders now take Trump's social media pronouncements seriously. "World leaders are starting to understand that if Trump sends out a message or puts something out on social media, that he's probably not kidding around," Baker told Sunrise. "You should probably take him at his word most of the time."
Trump's Comments Fuel Protester Optimism
The public comments from the US President are already having a tangible impact inside Iran. Baker observed that Trump's stance has "greatly contributed to... the optimism of the demonstrators and protesters." He explained that those on the streets now believe "that perhaps this is the time when the US finally will get in with some meaningful support."
Baker praised the extraordinary courage shown by Iranians defying the regime, as the international community watches closely.
This development follows a pattern of increased US involvement in global flashpoints under Trump's renewed administration. Earlier this month, Washington led the charge in the removal and arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, an intervention met with global condemnation. Subsequently, US forces executed one of their most aggressive maritime actions in years, seizing a Russian-flagged oil tanker, the Bella One, in the North Atlantic linked to Venezuela's sanction-evading "ghost fleet."
The situation in Iran remains fluid, with the potential for US military action adding a dangerous new dimension to the ongoing domestic crisis.
