Retired Gen. Jack Keane urged the Trump administration to confront Iran’s leadership directly as nationwide protests entered a third week on Jan. 11, 2026. Keane said the White House should issue a final warning to Tehran’s power brokers before moving to target those responsible for violent crackdowns.
His comments followed days of mounting unrest, internet blackouts and sharply worded threats exchanged by Washington and Iranian officials.
Keane’s call came during television appearances in which he described the Islamic Republic as weakened by domestic pressure and recent conflicts. He argued that a clear, last notice to halt lethal force against demonstrators could shape the regime’s calculus.
Fox News segments featuring Keane also highlighted public appeals from Iranian protesters to outside leaders, alongside reports of security forces using live ammunition and mass arrests in several cities.
Trump signals support as warnings intensify
President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned Iran’s rulers against killing protesters and has said the United States stands ready to respond.
On Friday, Jan. 9, he issued a new admonition amid an internet shutdown that obscured conditions on the ground. In a separate post on his social platform on Saturday, Trump wrote, “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!”
Trump’s language escalated from earlier statements as crowds continued to gather after dark across the capital and provincial cities. Reuters reported that the president said, “You better not start shooting because we’ll start shooting too,” while also signaling caution on committing to exiled political figures who seek leadership roles.
The administration has not announced a decision on military action, and officials have described the situation as fluid.
A retired Navy three-star, Robert Harward, echoed Keane’s assessment in a weekend interview, saying the regime faced sustained pressure and predicting that change inside Iran was unavoidable. His comments, which aligned with the White House’s public posture of support for the street movement, underscored how former military leaders close to national security debates are urging the administration to keep leverage high while avoiding premature commitments.
Israeli sources say high alert as U.S. options weighed
Israeli officials told international media that Israel is on a heightened state of alert as Washington weighs potential responses if Iran intensifies its crackdown.
These accounts followed consultations among Israeli security leaders and discussions with U.S. counterparts about scenarios that could trigger a limited intervention, including renewed mass killings or direct attacks on U.S. assets in the region.
Reuters reported that three Israeli sources described contingency planning and close monitoring of the protests’ trajectory, while stressing that Israel views the unrest as an internal Iranian matter. The same reporting noted that Israel and Iran fought a short conflict last year and that the United States briefly joined that fight, developments that inform threat perceptions on all sides. While no formal U.S. decision has been made, the communication reflects the degree to which regional militaries are attuned to fast-changing events.
Iranian officials responded with warnings of their own. A senior parliamentary leader said U.S. bases and regional allies would be considered legitimate targets if Washington intervened. The message tracked with state media narratives that portray the protests as foreign-instigated and frame opposition activists as rioters or terrorists.
Death tolls and arrests reported by rights groups
Casualty and arrest figures remain contested. Rights monitors cited by international outlets reported dozens of deaths in the first two weeks, including security personnel, with numbers rising as the blackout hampered verification.
By Sunday, a U.S.-based group, HRANA, reported more than 500 people killed since late December, including hundreds of protesters, and more than 10,000 arrests. Reuters said it could not independently verify those tallies, noting the blackout and conflicting official claims.
Earlier counts put fatalities at more than 60, illustrating how quickly estimates have shifted as new information emerges. Videos verified by global outlets showed large night marches in Tehran and fires in Mashhad, while state television broadcast images of body bags it said contained victims of “armed terrorists.” The contradictory narratives, combined with restricted connectivity, have left journalists relying on a mix of vetted footage, hospital accounts and interviews with activists to assemble a picture of events.
Reports from diaspora media and local networks cataloged slogans directly targeting Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as calls for a transition away from clerical rule. Crowds also chanted in support of the pre-1979 monarchy in some districts.
In past cycles of unrest, security forces moved to preempt gatherings around bazaars and universities, and there were similar accounts this week of tear gas and live fire used to disperse crowds in commercial areas.
