US President Donald Trump speaks to the press aboard Air Force One. AFP
But a channel for diplomacy remains open, with Iran taking a "far different tone" in private discussions with Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, said Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
"One thing President Trump is very good at is always keeping all of his options on the table. And air strikes would be one of the many, many options that are on the table for the commander in chief," Leavitt told reporters outside the West Wing.
Leavitt added that "diplomacy is always the first option for the president."
"What you're hearing publicly from the Iranian regime is quite different from the messages the administration is receiving privately, and I think the president has an interest in exploring those messages," Leavitt added.
Iran's foreign ministry said earlier Monday that a channel of communication was open between its top diplomat Abbas Araghchi and Trump's special envoy, despite a lack of diplomatic relations, adding that Iran was “open to diplomacy.”
Trump said on Sunday that the US military was considering "very strong options" against Iran, saying it "looks like" Tehran had crossed his previously stated red line of protesters being killed.
He said Iran's leaders had reached out for a meeting but "we may have to act before a meeting."
Rights groups have reported a growing death toll, with information continuing to trickle out of Iran despite a days-long internet shutdown.
However, Araghchi, speaking to foreign diplomats in Tehran, insisted “the situation has come under total control” in remarks that blamed Israel and the US for the violence.
“That’s why the demonstrations turned violent and bloody to give an excuse to the American president to intervene,” Araghchi said, in comments carried by Al Jazeera. The network has been allowed to report live from inside Iran.
Pro-government demonstrators flooded the streets Monday in support of the regime. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, which appeared to number in the tens of thousands, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”
* This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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