U.S. President Donald Trump has said that Iran has contacted him seeking negotiations following his threats of possible U.S. military action.
Trump said he and the military are reviewing several very “strong” options regarding Iran, after warning Iranian leaders not to kill protesters.
Human rights groups say thousands of people have been arrested and that protests continue in hundreds of locations, despite a heavy security presence.
President Trump said Iran’s leadership had reached out to request talks with Washington in the face of his military threats, issued in response to Tehran’s brutal crackdown on massive anti-government protests.
“Iran’s leaders called,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on January 11. He added that “a meeting is being set up… They want to negotiate.”
However, “we may have to act before a meeting,” he added, without providing details.
Tehran has not yet commented on Trump’s statements.
It was not immediately clear what Iran might want to negotiate. In the past, the two countries have held indirect talks regarding Tehran’s controversial nuclear program.
The United States and other Western countries have condemned the government’s suppression of protesters and have previously imposed sanctions on Tehran over what they say is an effort to develop nuclear weapons—an accusation Iran denies.
Earlier on January 11, Trump said he and the U.S. military were studying options regarding Iran in an effort to support protesters, amid unconfirmed reports that more than 500 people have been killed in a crackdown on demonstrations over the past 15 days.
“The military is looking at this, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” he told reporters, adding that he was also in contact with Iranian opposition leaders, without discussing details.
Trump’s comments came after U.S. media reported that the American leader had been briefed on options for responding to Iran’s harsh security crackdown on protests.
His remarks appeared to confirm reporting by Axios, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal, which said he was considering several options to support protests in Iran.
The Journal reported that concrete options would be presented to the president on January 13.
Possible next steps could include military strikes, the deployment of covert cyber weapons against Iran’s military, and the imposition of additional sanctions on the Iranian government, the WSJ added.
The developments came as human rights groups and state media reported protests, arrests, and violence in dozens of Iranian cities on January 11, with demonstrations entering their third week amid growing pressure from security forces.
The potential for violence appeared to increase after the government called on its supporters to take part in nationwide rallies on January 12 to condemn what it called “terrorist actions by the United States and Israel.”
The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA)—an organization of Iranian activists based in the United States—said on January 11 that 544 people had been killed in protests over the past 15 days.
HRANA said at least 10,061 people have been arrested and that demonstrations have been reported at 585 locations in 186 cities and towns across all 31 provinces.
These figures could not be independently verified, as information has been difficult to obtain due to a near-total internet shutdown in the country. Telephone services have also been restricted.
Human rights groups say Iran’s digital blackout is part of an effort to conceal state violence during the security crackdown.
On January 11, Trump said he planned to speak with billionaire Elon Musk about restoring internet access in Iran. Musk’s SpaceX provides the satellite internet service Starlink, which has previously been used in conflict zones, including Ukraine.
Over the past week, Trump has issued a series of stern warnings, saying the United States is “watching the situation very closely” and insisting that authorities refrain from killing protesters.
“Iran is in very big trouble. It looks to me like people are taking control of some cities that nobody thought were really possible just a few weeks ago,” Trump told participants at a White House meeting on January 9.
Trump’s comments were met with open support from Iran’s former crown prince and opposition figure Reza Pahlavi.
“President Trump, as the leader of the free world, has closely observed your indescribable bravery and has declared that he is ready to help you,” Pahlavi said in a video address released on January 11.
“Today, the world stands with your national revolution and admires your courage,” he added.
UN, EU condemn crackdown in Iran
The United Nations, the European Union, and Western governments have also expressed support for Iran’s protest movement.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on January 11 that he was “shocked” by reports of violence against protesters and urged the government to show restraint and to “refrain from the unnecessary or disproportionate use of force.”
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she was ready to propose new sanctions against Tehran in response to the crackdown.
“The EU already has extensive sanctions against Iran—against those responsible for human rights violations, nuclear proliferation activities, and Tehran’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine,” Kallas said in an interview with the German newspaper Die Welt.
A man who witnessed a crackdown on protests in eastern Tehran told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Iranian service late on January 10 that repression of demonstrations had escalated sharply, describing the situation in the city as resembling “scenes of war.”
The man, who asked not to be named for security reasons, said the continuous sound of gunfire from rubber bullets has been heard across the Iranian capital in recent nights, while drones have constantly flown over neighborhoods to monitor streets and alleyways.
Driven by rising prices, high inflation, and the sharp depreciation of the national currency, the unrest has emerged as the most serious challenge to the Islamic Republic in years.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has blamed the unrest on “terrorists” linked from abroad, accusing the United States and Israel of seeking to “sow chaos and disorder” in the country.
“If people have concerns, it is our duty to address those concerns, but our higher duty is that we must not allow a group of rioters to come and destroy the whole society,” he said in a televised address on January 11. /RFE/RL/
