Iranian International Minister Abbas Araghchi makes a speech in Tehran on this screengrab obtained from a handout video, Jan. 12. Reuters-Yonhap
DUBAI — Iran stated on Monday it’s retaining communications open with the USA as President Donald Trump weighed responses to a violent crackdown on protests which have posed one of many largest challenges to clerical rule for the reason that 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Trump stated on Sunday the U.S. could meet Iranian officers and that he’s in touch with the opposition, whereas piling stress on the Islamic Republic’s leaders, together with threatening potential navy motion in response to violence in opposition to protesters.
Iran has weathered previous waves of protests with crackdowns like the present bloody suppression. However this time the management is going through nationwide demonstrations that advanced from complaints about dire financial hardships to defiant requires the autumn of the clerical institution, and with its regional clout a lot decreased.
“The communication channel between our International Minister Abbas Araqchi and the U.S. particular envoy (Steve Witkoff) is open and messages are exchanged at any time when crucial,” overseas ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei stated on Monday.
Contacts additionally stay open by way of conventional middleman Switzerland, he stated.
“They (U.S.) touched upon some circumstances, concepts have been introduced up and typically (…) the Islamic Republic is a rustic that by no means left the negotiating desk.” However he added that “contradictory messages” from the U.S. confirmed an absence of seriousness and weren’t convincing.
Araqchi reiterated in a briefing to overseas ambassadors in Tehran that the Islamic Republic was prepared for conflict but in addition open to dialogue.
Mourners react subsequent to coffins throughout a funeral procession for members of safety forces and civilians stated to be killed in protests on Sunday on this screengrab from a video launched on Jan. 11. Reuters-Yonhap
Greater than 500 killed, rights group says
U.S.-based rights group HRANA stated it had verified the deaths of 490 protesters and 48 safety personnel, with greater than 10,600 folks arrested for the reason that protests started on Dec. 28.
Iran has not given an official toll and Reuters was unable to independently confirm the tallies. The circulate of data from Iran has been hampered by an web blackout since Thursday.
Trump stated on Sunday that Iran had referred to as to barter on its nuclear programme. Israel and the U.S. bombed Iranian nuclear websites in a 12-day conflict in June.
“Iran needs to barter, sure. We’d meet with them. A gathering is being arrange, however we could must act due to what is occurring earlier than the assembly, however a gathering is being arrange. Iran referred to as, they need to negotiate,” he advised reporters on Air Pressure One.
Trump was to satisfy with senior advisers on Tuesday to debate choices for Iran, a U.S. official advised Reuters. The Wall Road Journal reported that choices included navy strikes, utilizing secret cyber weapons, widening sanctions and offering on-line assist to anti-government sources.
Hanging navy installations could possibly be extremely dangerous. Some bases of elite navy and safety forces could also be situated in closely populated areas so any assault ordered by Trump may inflict massive civilian casualties.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned Washington in opposition to “a miscalculation”.
“Allow us to be clear: within the case of an assault on Iran, the occupied territories (Israel) in addition to all U.S. bases and ships shall be our reliable goal,” stated Qalibaf, a former commander in Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards.
Nonetheless, Tehran continues to be recovering from final yr’s conflict, and its regional clout has been a lot weakened by blows to allies comparable to Lebanon’s Hezbollah for the reason that October 7, 2023 assaults in opposition to Israel. Israel additionally killed prime Iranian navy commanders within the June conflict.
Demonstrators burn images of Iran’s Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, throughout a protest in assist of the Iranian folks exterior Downing Road, as protests have unfold throughout Iran for the reason that finish of December in response to hovering inflation and protesters demanding an finish to clerical rule, in London, Jan. 11. Reuters-Yonhap
Scenario ‘beneath complete management,’ Araqchi says
Iranian authorities accused the U.S. and Israel of fomenting hassle and referred to as for a nationwide rally on Monday to sentence “terrorist actions led by the USA and Israel,” state media reported.
State TV aired dwell footage on Monday of enormous crowds attending a funeral procession for safety forces killed in Shahrud and pro-government demonstrations in cities comparable to Kerman, Zahedan and Birjand, held “in condemnation of current terrorist occasions”.
Araqchi stated the state of affairs in Iran was “beneath complete management” after violence linked to protests spiked over the weekend. He stated Trump’s warning in opposition to Tehran of motion if protests turned bloody had motivated what he referred to as terrorists to focus on protesters and safety forces as a way to invite overseas intervention.
The protests started in response to hovering costs, earlier than turning in opposition to the clerical rulers who’ve ruled for greater than 45 years.
Iranians have grown more and more resentful of the highly effective Revolutionary Guards, whose enterprise pursuits together with oil and gasoline, building and telecommunications are value billions of {dollars}.
Footage posted on social media on Saturday from Tehran confirmed massive crowds marching at night time, clapping and chanting. The gang “has no finish nor starting,” a person is heard saying.
Trump stated on Sunday he would speak to Elon Musk about restoring web entry in Iran by way of his Starlink satellite tv for pc service.
Araqchi stated web service shall be resumed in coordination with safety authorities.
Authorities on Sunday declared three days of nationwide mourning “in honour of martyrs killed in resistance in opposition to the USA and the Zionist regime,” in keeping with state media.
Alan Eyre, a former U.S. diplomat and Iran professional, thought it unlikely the protests would topple the institution.
“I feel it extra seemingly that it places these protests down finally, however emerges from the method far weaker,” he advised Reuters, noting that Iran’s elite nonetheless appeared cohesive and there was no organised opposition.
