Iran may be gearing up to attack U.S. military bases and should expect harsh retaliation from President Donald Trump if it does, the State Department said Saturday.
The U.S. has “heard reports that the Islamic Republic is preparing options for targeting” bases amid days of threats exchanged between the two countries, the State Department said on X in Farsi, according to the social media site’s translation function. Tensions between Trump and Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei escalated in recent weeks after Trump publicly sided with anti-regime protesters in Iran and warned of possible military intervention on their behalf.
ما گزارشهایی شنیدهایم مبنی بر اینکه جمهوری اسلامی در حال آمادهسازی گزینههایی برای هدف قرار دادن پایگاههای آمریکایی است. همانطور که رئیسجمهور ترامپ بارها تأکید کرده است، همه گزینهها روی میز باقی ماندهاند و اگر رژیم جمهوری اسلامی اقدام به حمله به داراییهای آمریکا کند،… pic.twitter.com/3Rj0HU2FBv
— USAbehFarsi (@USABehFarsi) January 17, 2026
“As President Trump has repeatedly emphasized, all options remain on the table, and if the Islamic Republic regime attacks American assets, the Islamic Republic ‘will face a force that is very, very powerful,’” the State Department said. “We have said this before and we say it again: Do not play games with President Trump.”
Protesters in Iran took to the streets en masse starting in late December 2025 to demonstrate against its Islamic government, even burning and vandalizing mosques, according to multiple reports. Human rights watchdogs have accused Iran of killing the demonstrators by the hundreds.
Trump warned Jan. 2 that, if Iran “kills peaceful protestors,” America will “come to their rescue.” Khamenei later posted an image Sunday on X of Trump in a coffin. Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Baagher Qalibaf, also said the same day “all American military centers, bases and ships” nearby are “legitimate targets” if the U.S. attacks, CBS News reported.
Trump told the press Wednesday that Iran appeared to be complying with his demands, as the U.S. relocated troops away from a potentially vulnerable military base in Qatar, The New York Times reported. “We’ve been told that the killing in Iran is stopping — it’s stopped — it’s stopping,” he said. “And there’s no plan for executions … so I’ve been told that on good authority.”
The Trump administration’s aggressive posture toward Khamenei’s government reached new heights in June 22, 2025 when an American strike force bombed multiple Iranian nuclear facilities amid a perceived escalation towards deadly conflict between Iran and Israel. Trump announced a successful ceasefire deal between the two nations two days later.
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