US President Donald Trump on Monday revealed that Iran has approached the US to request a return to negotiations regarding a new nuclear deal.
“I think they’re tired of being beaten up by the United States,” he said. “Iran wants to negotiate.”
"We may need to act before a meeting with them… we are in the process of coordinating a meeting,” the president told reporters aboard Air Force One, as large-scale protests continue in Iran for the third consecutive week.
Following Trump's statements, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei stated that communication lines between Tehran and Washington remain open, such as through a US special envoy or traditional intermediaries such as Switzerland.
Baghaei said that "contradictory messages" had been sent that caused ambiguity and that Iran remained committed to diplomacy.
Trump said that if Iran harms US bases, "they will be hit in a way they have never been hit before. I have the strongest possible options; they will not believe the power we have. Iran’s leaders called yesterday to negotiate. We may be forced to act even before a meeting. They want to negotiate.”
“We are following what is happening in Iran with the utmost seriousness and are examining several very strong options,” he said. “I receive updates on Iran every hour. In the end, we will make a decision.”
Trump warns Iran nearing red line as protest deaths rise
Asked by reporters if Iran had crossed the president's formerly stated red line on protesters being killed for the sake of regime ideology, Trump said, "They’re starting to, it looks like.”
“We’re looking at it very seriously,” he said. “The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options. We’ll make a determination.”
Some 538 people have been killed during the 16 days of protests across Iran, though the exact numbers have not been verified, The Guardian noted. A
Additionally, more than 10,600 people were arrested by Iranian authorities, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.
Israeli security officials told N12 that Israel’s intelligence assessment is that more than 1,000 protesters have been killed.
The crackdown on the protests raised the likelihood of US intervention, as Trump reiterated on Saturday that he would intervene. “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!” he said on Truth Social.
As an answer to the US president's statement, the Iranian parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, warned Washington, saying, “Let us be clear: in the case of an attack on Iran, the occupied territories as well as all US bases and ships will be our legitimate target,” said Qalibaf, a former commander in Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards.
Trump is expected to hold a meeting on Tuesday with his national security team to discuss options for supporting the protests and weakening the Iranian regime.“
Iranian authorities claimed to have arrested "key members" of the protest movement, according to a statement of the national police chief on Sunday.
“Last night, significant arrests were made of the main elements in the riots, who, God willing, will be punished after going through legal procedures,” the police chief, Ahmad-Reza Radan, told state TV, without specifying the number of those arrested.