President Donald Trump says Iran has reached out to the U.S. to negotiate, even as his administration prepares for high-level talks that could lead to military action. Talks may be starting, but force remains on the table as protests inside Iran grow deadlier.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One late Sunday, Trump said the outreach came directly from Iran’s leadership.
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“Yesterday. The leaders of Iran called. They want to negotiate,” Trump said. “I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States.”
Trump said officials are arranging a meeting, but made clear talks may not slow U.S. action.
“We may meet with them. A meeting is being set up,” he said. “But we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting.”
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Protests broke out in Tehran on Dec. 28 after the Iranian rial dropped to a record low.
A decision meeting now on the calendar
Trump is set to meet Tuesday with senior national security and military leaders to review a range of options, according to The Wall Street Journal. U.S. officials told the paper the discussions are still early, and that no immediate action is expected.
The New York Times and the Journal were first to report that Trump had already been briefed on military options. The reports confirmed that the president is actively weighing how far to go if the Iranian government continues using lethal force against protesters.
Trump has drawn that line repeatedly. On Friday, he warned that if authorities began killing demonstrators, the U.S. would “get involved.”
“So Iran is in big trouble,” Trump said. “We’re watching the situation very carefully. I’ve made the statement very strongly that if they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved. We’ll be hitting them very hard where it hurts.”
Trump did, however, follow those comments by saying, “that doesn’t mean boots on the ground.”
A day later, he amplified that message on Truth Social. He wrote that Iran is “looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before,” and added that the U.S. stands ready to help.
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Protests spread, internet goes dark
Inside Iran, the unrest has entered its third week, and it shows no signs of fading. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency says at least 544 protesters and 47 members of the security forces have been killed, with more than 10,670 people detained nationwide.
What began as protests over rising prices and economic collapse has evolved into open calls for the end of clerical rule. Demonstrations have been reported in more than 100 cities and towns, including Tehran, Shiraz and other major population centers.
Authorities imposed a nationwide internet shutdown on Thursday, sharply limiting outside visibility. Even so, verified videos have emerged showing large crowds chanting against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and security forces firing on demonstrators. Iranian television has aired footage showing damage, looting, and what it describes as violent unrest.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has blamed foreign enemies for the protests, accusing the U.S. and Israel of backing what he calls terrorists and rioters.
Tehran warns of retaliation
Iran’s leadership has responded to the possibility of U.S. intervention with blunt threats. Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that any American strike would make U.S. bases and ships in the region legitimate targets, including assets tied to Israel.
That warning makes clear the stakes of Tuesday’s meeting. U.S. officials have said no American forces have been repositioned in preparation for strikes, suggesting the administration is still weighing consequences alongside options.
