Senator Cotton on Protests in Iran: It's Just the Beginning; Our Military is Always Planning Regarding the Islamic Republic

Republican Senator Tom Cotton, in an interview with Fox News, stated, "Our military forces are always planning for multiple options related to [the Islamic Republic] of Iran, considering the threats posed by [the Islamic Republic] for years." He mentioned that we are currently taking measured steps to provide a range of options to the President of the United States. The American senator added, "This action will not resemble an attack on their nuclear program or operations to arrest Nicolas Maduro and may have a broader scope." Mr. Cotton said, "Ultimately, our goal is to exert maximum pressure on the Ayatollahs while minimizing civilian casualties in Iran as much as possible. To achieve this goal, we have a complete range of options; not just military options." These remarks come as reports indicate that thousands of people in Iran have been killed by the Islamic Republic during recent anti-government protests. He added that Donald Trump, the President of the United States, "has not forgotten that the Ayatollahs have blood on their hands from hundreds of Americans," and the Islamic Republic "must take the President's threats seriously." Tom Cotton noted that although street presence in protests may have decreased due to the regime "killing its own people" in recent days, the protests have not ended. He stated that while "the Islamic Revolution dates back to 1979, there was a year of protests throughout 1978." He continued, "The Ayatollah cannot respond to the dissatisfaction of his people because, first, this is an illegitimate repressive regime that has been imposed on them for 47 years," and secondly, the currency in Iran is so devalued that it is not worth printing on paper, and people have no purchasing power. Mr. Cotton remarked that we are in the "early chapters" of this situation. Tom Cotton gave this interview following comments made by Ali Khamenei in Tehran on Saturday. Also see: The Sunday Times: The Islamic Republic has killed 16,500 people and injured 330,000 in the ongoing protests.