The US has warned its citizens living in Iran to leave the country immediately after Donald Trump was briefed on potential strike targets against the Islamic Republic.
According to US officials, the President is exploring diplomatic options with the regime - despite weighing up whether to attack the Middle Eastern country.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt warned that the use of air strikes were “one of the many, many options that are on the table" - just as reports emerged America could hit Tehran's nuclear programme once again.
However, Ms Leavitt said "diplomacy is always the first option" for Mr Trump.
She noted: “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.”
Mr Trump has been briefed by the Pentagon on potential targets for a fresh strike against Tehran, The Times reported on Sunday.
However, US officials indicated the targets were more likely to be associated to Iran's security forces responsible for the violent crackdown on protesters rather than against its nuclear or ballistic missiles programme.
The President is exploring diplomatic options with the regime despite weighing up whether to attack Tehran
| GETTYMs Leavitt said: “The President has shown he’s unafraid to use military options if and when he deems necessary and nobody knows that better than Iran.”
It comes as the States' so-called "virtual embassy" in Iran warned Americans living in the Middle Eastern country that it was now too risky to remain there.
It issued an alert instructing them to simply "leave Iran now".
The warning read: "US citizens should expect continued internet outages, plan alternative means of communication, and, if safe to do so, consider departing Iran by land to Armenia or Turkey."
The embassy has advised Americans who are unable to get out of the country to find a safe location within their homes or go to a secure building equipped with necessary supplies.
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Karoline Leavitt warned that the use of airstrikes were 'one of the many, many options that are on the table'
| GETTYMr Trump told reporters on Sunday that the Islamic Republic had overstepped the mark, just days after saying he would defend the demonstrators if the regime were to use lethal force as part of its crackdown.
He said: “There seems to be some people killed who weren’t supposed to be killed.
“These are violent - you can call them leaders, I don’t know if they’re leaders. I guess they rule with violence. But we’re looking at it very seriously, the military’s looking at it. And there’s a couple options.”
According to Norway-based human rights group Iran Human Rights, 648 protesters have been killed, including nine children, with thousands more injured since the unrest began on December 28.
Around 648 protesters have been killed since the unrest began, according to the Iran Human Rights
| REUTERSThen on Monday night, the President announced new tariffs on Tehran's trading partners in a bid to ramp up economic pressure on Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's regime.
He wrote on his Truth Social platform: “Effective immediately, any country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a tariff of 25 per cent on any and all business being done with the United States of America."
The fresh measures are set to impact China, Brazil, Turkey and Russia - all of whom are engaged in business with the Islamic Republic.
Tehran is yet to issue a response to the tariffs, but China said it was against "any illicit unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction".
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