In this frame grab from video taken by an individual not employed by The Associated Press and obtained by the AP outside Iran shows people blocking an intersection during a protest in Tehran, Iran, on January 8, 2026. Photo: VCG

Iran warned Washington on Sunday that any US attack would lead to Tehran striking back against Israel and regional US military bases as "legitimate targets" after the US President Donald Trump has been briefed on options for military strikes in Iran amid ongoing protests in the country, according to media reports.

The New York Times reported Saturday local time that the Trump has been briefed on options for military strikes in Iran. On the same day, he renewed threats against Tehran by stating the US "stands ready to help" regarding the situation. 

In response, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf told parliament that any US attack would lead to Tehran striking back against Israel and regional US military bases as "legitimate targets," Reuters reported Sunday. 

The Iranian national police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said Sunday that Iran, on Saturday evening, has made significant arrests of key figures in the protest movement that has swept the Islamic republic over the last two weeks, AFP reported.

Commenting on latest developments, a Chinese expert warned that potential US strikes could trigger a significant escalation of regional tensions and would be unlikely to yield strategic gains for the US. 

NYT, citing multiple US officials familiar with the matter, reported that Trump has been briefed in recent days on new options for military strikes in Iran as he considers following through on his threat to attack the country for cracking down on protesters.

NYT noted that Trump has not made a final decision, but the officials claimed he was seriously considering authorizing a strike in response to the Iranian regime's efforts to suppress demonstrations set off by widespread economic grievances. The president has been presented with a range of options, including strikes on nonmilitary sites in Tehran, the people said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential conversations, according to NYT.

"Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!" Trump claimed in a post on Truth Social on Saturday, renewing his threats against the Middle Eastern country, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

"If they start killing people ... we will get involved," Trump told reporters on Friday, adding that "that doesn't mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very, very hard where it hurts."

Reuters, citing three Israeli sources with knowledge of the matter, reported Sunday that Israel is on high alert for the possibility of any US intervention in Iran. The sources did not elaborate on what Israel's high-alert footing meant in practice, according to the report.

Also, in a phone call on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the possibility of US intervention in Iran, Reuters reported.

According to the report, Israel has not signaled a desire to intervene in Iran as protests grip the country, with tensions between the two arch-foes high over Israeli concerns about Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Friday urged people in Iran to preserve unity and said some protesters try to please the US, Xinhua reported.

Protesters are "ruining their own streets to make the president of another country happy," the supreme leader said.

Khamenei told the US leader to focus on problems in his own country. Iran "will not back down" in face of "saboteurs," he claimed.

Iran's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday condemned what it described as "interventionist and deceptive" remarks by the Trump administration about the unrest, saying they reflected Washington's continued hostility toward the Iranian people.

Protests have erupted in several Iranian cities since late December over the sharp fall of the rial and long-standing economic hardship. Iranian authorities have acknowledged the demonstrations and voiced willingness to address economic grievances, while warning against violence and vandalism, according to Xinhua.

Reuters reported Friday local time that Iran's UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani stated that the US is to blame for "the transformation of peaceful protests into violent, subversive acts and widespread vandalism" in Iran. Iran condemns "the ongoing, unlawful, and irresponsible conduct of the US, in coordination with the Israeli regime, in interfering in Iran's internal affairs through threats, incitement, and the deliberate encouragement of instability and violence." 

He accuses Washington of "destabilizing practices" that undermine the founding UN Charter, violate fundamental principles of international law, and threaten the foundations of international peace and security, according to Reuters.

"If the US militarily intervenes in Iran, the impact would be significant," Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday. "If strikes were launched against Iran, Iran would certainly retaliate in the most intense manner," Lü said.

This would plunge the regional situation into renewed and even higher tension shortly after a period of relative calm, said the expert, criticizing the potential violent intervention in other countries' internal affairs.

"Judging from current US policy and calculations, while the US possesses the military capacity to strike Iran, it would gain no strategic benefit from doing so," the expert added.

Since Iran presents a complex situation that is difficult to dominate, any strike against Iran would not only fail to yield returns but could also backfire by escalating conflict between Iran and Israel, thereby undermining the US forward strategic position in the Middle East, according to the expert.