WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� U.S. President Donald Trump said with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its crackdown on protesters that activists said had killed .
Iran had no direct reaction to Trump’s comments, which came after the foreign minister of Oman 鈥� long an interlocutor between Washington and Tehran 鈥� traveled to Iran this weekend. It also remains unclear just what Iran could promise, particularly as Trump has set strict demands over its nuclear program and its ballistic missile arsenal, which Tehran insists is crucial for its national defense.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking to foreign diplomats in Tehran, insisted 鈥渢he situation has come under total control鈥� in remarks that blamed Israel and the U.S. for the violence, without offering evidence.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why the demonstrations turned violent and bloody to give an excuse to the American president to intervene,鈥� Araghchi said, in comments carried by Al Jazeera. The Qatar-funded network has been allowed to report live from inside Iran, despite the internet being shut off.
However, Araghchi said Iran was 鈥渙pen to diplomacy.鈥� Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said that a channel to the U.S. remained open, but talks needed to be 鈥渂ased on the acceptance of mutual interests and concerns, not a negotiation that is one-sided, unilateral and based on dictation.鈥�
Meanwhile, pro-government demonstrators flooded the streets Monday in support of the theocracy, a show of force after directly challenging the . Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, which appeared to number in the tens of thousands, who shouted 鈥淒eath to America!鈥� and 鈥淒eath to Israel!鈥�
Others cried out, 鈥淒eath to the enemies of God!鈥� Iran鈥檚 attorney general has warned that anyone taking part in protests will be considered an 鈥渆nemy of God,鈥� a death-penalty charge.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Iran鈥檚 public rhetoric diverges from the private messaging the administration has received from Tehran in recent days.
鈥淚 think the president has an interest in exploring those messages,鈥� Leavitt said. 鈥淗owever, with that said, the president has shown he鈥檚 unafraid to use military options if and when he deems necessary, and nobody knows that better than Iran.鈥�
Trump acknowledges proposal for talks
Trump and his national security team have been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran, including cyberattacks and direct strikes by the U.S. , according to two people familiar with internal White House discussions who weren’t authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
鈥淭he military is looking at it, and we鈥檙e looking at some very strong options,鈥� Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night. Asked about Iran鈥檚 threats of retaliation, he said, 鈥淚f they do that, we will hit them at levels that they鈥檝e never been hit before.鈥�
Meanwhile, Trump announced Monday that countries doing business with Iran will face 25% tariffs from the United States. Trump announced the tariffs in a social media posting, saying they would be 鈥渆ffective immediately.鈥�
It was action against Iran for the protest crackdown from Trump, who believes exacting tariffs can be a useful tool in prodding friends and foes on the global stage to bend to his will.
Brazil, China, Russia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates are among economies that do business with Tehran.
The White House declined to offer further comment about the president’s tariff announcement.
Trump said Sunday that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports of the death toll in Iran mount and the government continues to arrest protesters.
鈥淚 think they鈥檙e tired of being beat up by the United States,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淚ran wants to negotiate.鈥�
Iran, through the country’s parliamentary speaker, warned Sunday that the U.S. military and Israel would be 鈥渓egitimate targets鈥� if Washington uses force to protect demonstrators.
More than 10,700 people also have been detained over the two weeks of protests, said the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists 草莓传媒 Agency, which has been accurate in previous unrest in recent years and gave the latest death toll early Tuesday. It relies on supporters in Iran crosschecking information. It said 512 of the dead were protesters and 134 were security force members.
With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. The Associated Press has been unable to . Iran鈥檚 government hasn’t offered overall casualty figures.
Those abroad fear the information blackout is emboldening hard-liners within Iran鈥檚 security services to launch a violent crackdown. Online videos purported to show more demonstrations Sunday night into Monday, with a Tehran official acknowledging them in state media.
At 2 p.m. Monday, Iranian state television showed images of demonstrators thronging Tehran toward Enghelab Square, or 鈥淚slamic Revolution鈥� Square in the capital. It had been airing statements all morning from Iranian government, security and religious leaders to attend the demonstration.
It called the rally an 鈥淚ranian uprising against American-Zionist terrorism,鈥� without addressing the underlying anger in the country over the nation鈥檚 ailing economy. State television aired images of such demonstrations around the country, trying to signal it had overcome the protests.
Fear pervades Iran’s capital
In Tehran, a witness told the AP that the streets were empty at the sunset call to prayers each night. By the Isha, or nighttime prayer, the streets are deserted.
Part of that stems from the fear of getting caught in the crackdown. Police sent the public a text message that warned: 鈥淕iven the presence of terrorist groups and armed individuals in some gatherings last night and their plans to cause death, and the firm decision to not tolerate any appeasement and to deal decisively with the rioters, families are strongly advised to take care of their youth and teenagers.鈥�
Another text, which claimed to come from the intelligence arm of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, also directly warned people not to take part in demonstrations.
The witness spoke on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing crackdown.
began Dec. 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, which trades at more than 1.4 million to $1, as iran’s economy is squeezed by international sanctions in part levied over its nuclear program. The protests intensified and grew into calls directly challenging Iran鈥檚 theocracy.
___
Jon Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Julia Nikhinson reported from aboard Air Force One. Melanie Lidman contributed to this report from Tel Aviv, Israel.
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
