Donald Trump will take drastic measures against Iran if 'first option' doesn’t work

White House officials say Donald Trump is prepared to use military force on Iran amid a deadly crackdown against protests in Tehran.

Demonstrations kicked off at the end of December in response to an extreme rise in prices, worsening the daily hardships of citizens.

Within days, however, protestors also turned against the clerical government rulers who have been in charge of the country for over four decades, following the Islamic Revolution and the final collapse of the monarchy in 1979.

Those demonstrating have since been met with severe punishment, with the US-based rights group HRANA claiming on Monday (12 Jan) that 646 citizens had been killed already, including 505 protestors.

133 military and law personnel had also died, alongside seven bystanders. 579 further deaths are also being investigated by officials.

505 protestors have been killed already (MAHSA / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)

Iran's foreign minister has accused the United States and Israel of fuelling this violence in the ongoing unrest, which he described as a “terrorist war”.

The violent response from Iranian leaders so far, however, has reportedly prompted Trump to consider launching an attack.

According to the Republican's press secretary Karoline Leavitt, Trump remains hopeful that diplomacy will pave the way when it comes to amicable relations with Iran going forward, viewing this as his 'first option'.

This said, however, the 79-year-old is reportedly 'unafraid to use the lethal force' against his Middle Eastern neighbours if he becomes aware of leaders opening fire on protestors, and will rely on the 'might of the United States military' if necessary.

"Airstrikes would be one of the many, many options that are on the table for the commander-in-chief," Leavitt told Fox News. "Diplomacy is always the first option for the president."

Leavitt provided an update on behalf of Trump (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

She added that 'nobody knows better than Iran' how willing the right-wing leader might be to take drastic action, alluding to the strikes he orchestrated on three major nuclear sites last summer.

Of these, Trump insisted he'd 'obliterated' the areas, though US intelligence services later refuted this claim, believing the images subsequently shared implied that more damage had been done.

Claiming that diplomatic channels between Washington and Tehran remain open, however, Leavitt also told press this week: "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."

Citizens in America are also against the prospect of war (Adam Gray/Getty Images)

A number of protestors in the States have also taken to the streets in protest of the prospect of a war with Iran.

In response to Trump's claims, Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi insisted that, though his country is not seeking war with the States, it is 'fully prepared' for this eventuality.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, he also referred to last year's attack, adding: "If Washington wants to test the military option it has tested before, we are ready for it. We have a large and extensive military preparedness compared to what we had during the last war.

"We are prepared for all options, and hope Washington chooses the wise option."

Araghchi continued: "We are also ready for negotiations, but these negotiations should be fair, with equal rights and based on mutual respect."