Donald Trump is “unafraid to use military force on Iran” the White House said on Monday as the Iranian regime still faces widespread unrest across the country. Speaking to Fox News, the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said that although diplomacy remained Trump’s “first option”, he was “unafraid to use the lethal force and might of the United States military if and when he deems that necessary”. In recent weeks, the Iranian regime has confronted its largest protest movement since 2009, which its leadership has sought to downplay, attributing the unrest to “American-Zionist terrorism”. The Iranian regime has since responded with a harsh crackdown including mass arrests, internet blackouts and public warnings that participation in the demonstrations could carry the death penalty. Last Friday, Mr Trump reiterated his threats, saying: “I tell the Iranian leaders, ‘You’d better not start shooting, because we’ll start shooting too.’”© The Guardian

Source: Irish Examiner January 13, 2026 16:16 UTC