ISTANBUL 

The US has moved additional Patriot and THAAD air defense systems to the Middle East as intelligence assessments warn that Iran’s government is increasingly unstable following months of protests and economic collapse, according to a report.

The New York Times reported on Monday that US officials said the deployments are aimed at protecting American forces from potential retaliation as President Donald Trump reviews intelligence indicating Tehran’s grip on power is at its weakest since the 1979 revolution.

Protests that erupted late last year spread into regions long viewed as strongholds of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“President Trump is consistently briefed on intelligence matters around the world,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

“It would be a dereliction of duty as commander in chief if he were not regularly briefed on these matters. With respect to Iran, President Trump continues to closely monitor the situation,” she added.

Trump had warned that military action remains an option, describing the US naval buildup in the region as an “armada.”

Alongside the air defense deployments, the Pentagon has sent additional F-15E strike aircraft to the region and placed long-range bombers on heightened alert, according to US officials.

Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, said he recently spoke with Trump about Iran and urged stronger action. “The goal is to end the regime,” Graham said. “They may stop killing them today, but if they’re in charge next month, they’ll kill them then.”