US Vs Iran: Here's How The Two Countries Stack Up On Military Strengths

As the people of Iran pour onto the streets in the face of an unprecedented economic crisis, US President Donald Trump said he was considering conducting military operations in the Islamic Republic.

"We're looking at it very seriously. The military is looking at it, and we are looking at some very strong options. We will make a determination," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, while he was en route to Washington from Florida.

Asked whether Iran has crossed the red line for intervention, the US President said, "They are starting to, it looks like, and there seem to be some people killed that aren't supposed to be killed. These are violent if you call 'em leaders. I don't know if they are leaders or if they just rule through violence".

Trump also claimed that the Iranian leadership called on Saturday to negotiate with Washington.

"The leaders of Iran called yesterday (Saturday)... A meeting is being set up... They want to negotiate," he said, and added that the US "may have to act because of what's happening before the meeting".

As per Global Firepower Index, the United States ranks at the top globally and is backed by a massive defence budget that exceeds $895 billion. Iran ranks 16th with a spending of nearly $15 billion.

In terms of military strength, the US has about 13,95,000 military personnel and 8,06,700 reserve troops, compared to Iran's 6,50,000 military personnel and 3,50,000 reserve troops, according to GlobalMilitary.net.

The US has more than 13,000 aircraft, including the 5th-generation stealth fighters like F-22 and F-35. It also has strategic bombers and a vast logistics/tanker fleet. Iran's air force is significantly smaller (640 aircraft) and features an obsolete fleet of pre-1979 US and Soviet-era aircraft.

At 471, the US remains ahead in terms of military ships as well; Iran only has 90. The US has more than 4,600 military battle tanks and 5,277 nuclear warheads. Iran, meanwhile, has nearly 2,000 battle tanks and no nuclear warheads.

The US has not deployed additional troops or jets in the region and remains without an aircraft carrier in the area, Financial Times quoted officials as saying.

In the Middle East, the US has fewer than 40,000 troops and military personnel. It is currently operating eight permanent bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE, besides holding access to 11 additional military sites in Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Oman.

Al Udeid Air Base, the biggest US base, is in Qatar.

Amid nationwide anti-government protests, at least 544 people, including eight children, have been killed in Iran over the past 15 days, as per the latest update by the Human Rights Activist New Agency (HRANA).

Over 10,681 individuals have been arrested and transferred to prisons, the US-based rights group has claimed.

Cybersecurity watchdog NetBlocks on Monday informed that the internet blackout in Iran has been on for at least 84 hours now, with connectivity to the outside world at just 1% of ordinary levels.

The latest protests started on December 28 over the collapse of the Iranian currency, which trades at over 1.4 million to $1.