US President Donald Trump is expected to convene senior administration officials on Tuesday to discuss possible courses of action regarding Iran. The meeting will be "significant," several US officials told The Jerusalem Post.
"Trump wants to see final plans and proposals on what can be done to help the protesters," one official said.
The prevailing assessment among US, Israeli, and European officials is that Trump has decided to assist the protesters and to take action. The remaining questions are 'how?' and 'when?'
The action taken "will not necessarily be kinetic (military)," one official told the Post.
"Trump is not afraid to use military force, but would prefer a diplomatic solution," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a Monday interview with Fox News.
Leavitt: 'Airstrikes are one of the options' Trump is exploring for Iran intervention
Leavitt also said that Trump is keeping all options on the table. "Airstrikes are one option. The president always prefers diplomacy. He wants to examine the messages coming from Iran, but he is prepared for anything," Leavitt said, adding that "the messages the Iranian regime sends us privately are different from those it delivers publicly."
The prevailing assessment is that the Iranian regime is attempting to crush protest activity within the next 24 to 48 hours.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a security discussion on the Iranian issue on Monday.
In Israel, there is concern about the possibility of dialogue between the Trump administration and the Iranians, and the protests - along with potential US support for them - are seen as a move that could advance the overthrow of the Islamic Regime.
Publicly, Israel is currently refraining from commenting on developments in Tehran and is effectively leaving leadership on the issue to the Trump administration.