The death toll from Iran’s nationwide protests has risen to at least 544, activists said on Sunday, as US President Donald Trump claimed Tehran has reached out to Washington seeking negotiations after he threatened military action over the violent crackdown on demonstrators.
Trump said his administration is in talks to arrange a meeting with Iranian officials but warned he may be forced to act first as reports of killings and mass arrests continue.
“I think they are tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. “Iran wants to negotiate.”
He said the meeting was being set up but developments on the ground could prompt earlier action. “We may have to act because of what is happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate,” he said.
There was no immediate confirmation from Tehran about any offer for talks.
Two people familiar with internal White House discussions said Trump and his national security team are weighing a range of responses, including cyberattacks and possible strikes by the US or Israel. They spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to comment publicly.
“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump said. Asked about Iran’s threats of retaliation, he warned: “If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said more than 10,600 people have been detained during two weeks of unrest. It said 496 of those killed were protesters and 48 were members of the security forces. The group relies on a network of supporters inside Iran to verify information.
With the internet largely shut down and phone lines cut, it has become increasingly difficult to assess the scale of the violence. The Associated Press has not been able to independently verify the figures, and Iran’s government has not released any overall casualty numbers.
Despite the blackout, online videos showed fresh demonstrations in parts of Tehran and Mashhad over the weekend, with protesters confronting security forces.
Tensions escalated further after Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Baagher Qalibaf warned that the US military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if Washington uses force to protect demonstrators.
“In the event of an attack on Iran, both the occupied territory and all American military centers, bases and ships in the region will be our legitimate targets,” he told parliament, prompting lawmakers to chant: “Death to America!”
The protests erupted on Dec 28 after the collapse of the Iranian rial, which now trades at more than 1.4 million to the US dollar, as the economy struggles under international sanctions. The demonstrations have since grown into direct challenges to Iran’s ruling theocracy.