His remarks come as activists report a sharply rising death toll from Iran’s nationwide protests. A crackdown has killed at least 538 people, with more feared dead, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.
Washington: US President Donald Trump on Monday said Iran’s leadership had reached out seeking negotiations, even as he continues to weigh possible military action amid reports of a violent crackdown on anti-government protests in the Islamic Republic.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump suggested Iran may have crossed his previously stated red line over the killing of protesters.
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“The leaders of Iran called,” Trump told reporters, adding that “a meeting is being set up... They want to negotiate.”
However, he cautioned that Washington’s response may not wait for talks. “We may have to act before a meeting,” Trump said, underscoring that the US military is reviewing “very strong options” as the situation in Iran escalates.
Also read: Will Trump strike Iran as protests turn deadly and Israel goes on high alert?
His remarks come as activists report a sharply rising death toll from Iran’s nationwide protests. A crackdown has killed at least 538 people, with more feared dead, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. The group said 490 of those killed were protesters and 48 were members of security forces. It also reported that more than 10,600 people have been detained over the past two weeks.
Tehran, meanwhile, warned that the U.S. military and Israel would be considered “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators. Any decision to go to war against the West for Iran would rest with Iran's 86-year-old Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
With internet services shut down and phone lines cut across Iran, verifying the scale of the unrest has become increasingly difficult. The Associated Press said it has been unable to independently confirm casualty figures, and Iran’s government has not released official nationwide totals. The information blackout has heightened fears among observers abroad that hardliners in Iran’s security establishment are escalating the crackdown. Protesters reportedly returned to the streets on Sunday in Tehran and the country’s second-largest city.
Also read: Trump ready to help, do not leave the streets: Exiled crown prince Pahlavi to Iranian protesters
The United Nations also weighed in, urging restraint from Iranian authorities.
In a post on X, UN Secretary-General António Guterres wrote, “Shocked by reports of violence & excessive use of force by the Iranian authorities against protesters resulting in deaths & injuries in recent days. The rights to freedom of expression, association & peaceful assembly must be fully respected & protected. I urge the Iranian authorities to exercise maximum restraint & refrain from unnecessary or disproportionate use of force.”
He added, “I also urge steps that enable access to information in the country, including restoring communications.”
Published: 12 Jan 2026, 07:17 am IST
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