At least 116 people have been killed in violence linked to nationwide protests against Iran’s theocratic rulers. The protests entered their second week on Sunday. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported over 2,600 arrests, citing verified reports. Internet and phone lines are cut in Iran, making it hard to assess the full scale of protests. State TV focuses on security forces’ casualties and calls protesters “terrorists,” according to AP. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has warned of a tough crackdown despite US warnings. Iran’s attorney general, Mohammad Movahedi Azad, said anyone involved in protests would be treated as an “enemy of God,” a charge carrying the death penalty. He added that those who "helped rioters" also face this designation. A state TV statement said, “Prosecutors must carefully and without delay... prepare the grounds for trial and decisive confrontation... Proceedings must be conducted without leniency, compassion or indulgence,” cited by AP. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump was briefed on military strike options against Iran. Officials said Trump has not decided yet but is seriously considering actions due to Iran’s harsh crackdown on protesters. Options include strikes on nonmilitary sites in Tehran, reported the New York Times. Trump posted on Truth Social, “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!” He previously warned that if Iran kills protesters, “we will get involved,” hitting Iran “very hard where it hurts,” but avoiding boots on the ground. The protests began on December 28 after the Iranian rial collapsed. The currency now trades at over 1.4 million to the US dollar. International sanctions on Iran’s nuclear program have further squeezed the economy. The unrest has since grown into direct challenges to Iran’s theocratic system.