Washington (TDI): US President Donald Trump claimed on Sunday that Iran’s leadership had reached out to initiate talks following his warnings of potential military action, as widespread anti-government protests continue in the country.
“The leaders of Iran called yesterday,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, adding that “a meeting is being set up… They want to negotiate.” However, he cautioned that “we may have to act before a meeting.”
The demonstrations in Iran, the largest since 2022, began on December 28 over rising prices and have since expanded into broader anti-regime protests. Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene if the authorities use force against protesters.
The protests represent a serious challenge to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, especially following Israel’s 12-day conflict with Iran in June, which was backed by the United States.
State television has aired footage of burning buildings, including a mosque, alongside funeral processions for slain security personnel. After several days of unrest, official media sought to portray a sense of calm, showing smooth traffic on Sunday.
Tehran Governor Mohammad-Sadegh Motamedian claimed that “the number of protests is decreasing.” Meanwhile, the government declared three days of national mourning for “martyrs,” including security personnel, and President Masoud Pezeshkian called for a “national resistance march” on Monday to denounce the violence.
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In response to Trump’s warnings, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf declared that the US and its shipping assets could be considered “legitimate targets” if Tehran were attacked.
Trump also revealed plans to discuss with Elon Musk the possibility of restoring internet services in Iran, which have been largely cut off for four days. “He’s very good at that kind of thing, he’s got a very good company,” Trump said, referring to Musk’s SpaceX, which provides the Starlink satellite internet service that has previously been used in Iran.
Read More: Death Toll Climbs in Iran’s Nationwide Protests, People Experience Internet Blackout
Reza Pahlavi, son of Iran’s former Shah, encouraged state employees and security forces to side with the public rather than the authorities. “They have a choice, stand with the people and become allies of the nation, or join the killers of the people,” he said in a social media post.
Pahlavi also called for replacing the Iranian embassy flags abroad with the pre-revolution tricolour flag. Over the weekend, demonstrators in London replaced the flag at the Iranian embassy with the Shah-era banner, now a symbol of international support for Iran’s protests.
