If President Trump follows through, some of Iran’s biggest trading partners, including China and India, could be hit hard.
Reza Pahlavi, living in exile in the United States, has long marketed himself as a future leader of Iran. His father’s repressive legacy casts a long shadow.
The Pentagon is presenting a wider range of strike options to the president than previously reported. Targets could include Iran’s nuclear program and ballistic missile sites.
The comments came after President Trump said he was “ looking at some very strong options” to curb the Iranian authorities’ harsh repression of anti-government protests.
Demonstrations that began as outrage at the state of the economy have spread to cities across the country, amid an escalating crackdown by the authorities.
After days of fierce protest, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused protesters of trying to “please” President Trump. Iranian authorities signaled further crackdowns on the demonstrations.
The secretary of state said that a military “quarantine” on some oil exports would stay in place to put pressure on the country’s acting leadership.
Galloping inflation, a currency crisis and anger at the regime have fueled demonstrations across the country.
Mr. Trump’s remarks that he was ready to come to the protesters’ “rescue” are a sharp escalation as protests over economic hardship turned deadly.
Tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates burst into the open this week with an unusually direct confrontation that has global implications.