President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he hopes no military action will be needed in Iran, but stopped short of ruling it out as the U.S. continues to move military assets to the Middle East.

“We hope there’s not going to be further [military] action,” Trump said during an interview with CNBC on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, while alluding to the fact that it still might be a possibility given Tehran’s conduct in suppressing nationwide demonstrations. “But you know, [the regime is] shooting people indiscriminately in the streets.”

The president has previously called the Iranian regime’s killing of protesters a “red line” and vowed to protesters that “help is on its way.” Trump repeated his claim on Wednesday that Iranian authorities had planned to hang 837 protesters last week, but “canceled it” after he warned them not to.

Trump has thus far refrained from authorizing military action against Iran — even as the U.S. has continued to move military assets to the Middle East in preparation for potential escalation, with reports indicating that the Pentagon has relocated more F-15 fighter jets to the region in recent days. 

When asked by CNBC’s Joe Kernen whether people should “stay tuned” on Iran, Trump was noncommittal: “I guess — I mean, look, it’s a rough place,” he said.

White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, also at Davos, told Bloomberg News that diplomatic engagement remains possible if Tehran changes course.

“Iran needs to change its ways,” Witkoff said. “If they indicate that they’re willing to do that, I think we can diplomatically settle this.” But asked if he believes Iran wants to take the diplomatic path, Witkoff said, “We don’t have that sense yet.”

Still, the president noted that if Tehran were to continue pursuing nuclear capabilities, an attack similar to the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites last June is “going to happen again.” 

“They keep experimenting with nuclear, and, you know, at some point they’re going to get the idea that they can’t do that,” he said.

President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States would intervene to “rescue” Iranian anti-government protesters if the Iranian government attempts to kill them, amid a renewed wave of public demonstrations in Iran.

“If Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue,” Trump said on Truth Social. “We are locked and loaded and ready to go. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Nationwide protests have racked Iran for days, largely caused by an ongoing economic crisis and broader discontent with the regime.

Trump publicly floated the idea of pursuing regime change and targeting the leadership of the Islamic Republic last summer during the Israel-Iran war, but later backed off of the idea.

Ali Larijani, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, responded to Trump on X, suggesting that the U.S. and Israel are interfering in Iranian internal affairs and threatening U.S. soldiers.

“With the statements by Israeli officials and @realDonaldTrump, what has been going on behind the scenes is now clear. We distinguish between the stance of the protesting shopkeepers and the actions of disruptive actors, and Trump should know that U.S. interference in this internal matter would mean destabilizing the entire region and destroying America’s interests,” Larijani said. “The American people should know — Trump started this adventurism. They should be mindful of their soldiers’ safety.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) praised Trump’s efforts and said, “A weakened Iran — a nation run by religious nazis — is due to President Trump’s efforts to isolate Iran economically and to use military force wisely. It is time to Make Iran Great Again.”

“Under President Trump’s leadership and in collaboration with our allies, I can see the demise of Hamas and Hezbollah in 2026, paving the way for normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel. This would be the biggest change in the Middle East in thousands of years,” Graham continued.

Daniel Shapiro, the former U.S. ambassador to Israel and a senior Defense Department official in the Biden administration, advised Democrats to express support for the Iranian protesters.

“This should be a bipartisan issue,” Shapiro said. “Press Trump to do more than issue threats: support protesters with internet access and prepare now to advise/assist in a transition.”

He also said that Trump’s threat “could be a tipping point moment” if it causes the Iranian regime to refrain from crackdowns, but also “imposes an obligation on the U.S. to follow through if needed, with both the risk of deeper U.S. military involvement, and the moral hazard of failing to back up the threat.”

Shapiro urged the administration to prepare “now for the transition that may unfold. The U.S. must be prepared to provide humanitarian assistance, expertise in institution building and reconstruction, carefully implemented sanctions relief, and coordination among regional partners to assist Iranians in steering toward a transition to a peaceful, stable (and hopefully democratic) outcome.”