Trump says Iran wants to negotiate as the death toll in protests rises to 544

The death toll in protests across Iran is said to have risen to 544 Picture: UGC via AP

US President Donald Trump said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its bloody crackdown on protesters, a move coming as activists said the death toll in the nationwide demonstrations rose to at least 544.

Iran had no direct reaction to Mr Trump’s comments, which came after the foreign minister of Oman — long an interlocutor between Washington and Tehran — travelled to Iran this weekend.

Protesters have taken to the streets despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world (UGC via AP)

It also remains unclear just what Iran could promise, particularly as Mr Trump has set strict demands over its nuclear programme and its ballistic missile arsenal, which Tehran insists is crucial for its national defence.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking to foreign diplomats in Tehran, insisted “the situation has come under total control” in fiery remarks that blamed Israel and the US for the violence, without offering evidence.

“That’s why the demonstrations turned violent and bloody to give an excuse to the American president to intervene,” Mr Araghchi said, in comments carried by the Qatar-funded Al Jazeera satellite news network.

Al Jazeera has been allowed to report from inside the country live despite the internet being shut off.

However, Mr Araghchi said Iran was “open to diplomacy”.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said a channel to the US remained open, but talks needed to be “based on the acceptance of mutual interests and concerns, not a negotiation that is one-sided, unilateral and based on dictation”.

Meanwhile, on Monday, Iran drew tens of thousands of pro-government demonstrators to head to the streets in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

President Donald Trump claimed that Iran is ‘tired of being beat up by the United States’ and ‘wants to negotiate’ (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP)

Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, which appeared to number in the tens of thousands, who shouted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel”. Others cried out: “Death to the enemies of God”.

Iran’s attorney general has said prosecutors will levy such charges against protesters, which carry the death penalty.

Mr Trump and his national security team have been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran, including cyberattacks and direct strikes by the US or Israel, according to people familiar with internal White House discussions.

“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Mr Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night.

Asked about Iran’s threats of retaliation, he said: “If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”

Mr Trump said 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.

“I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States,” Mr Trump said. “Iran wants to negotiate.”

More than 10,000 people have been detained over the two weeks of protests (UGC via AP)

He added: “The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate.”

Iran, through the country’s parliamentary speaker, warned that the US military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.

More than 10,600 people have been detained over the two weeks of protests, said the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in previous unrest in recent years and gave the death toll.

It relies on supporters in Iran cross-checking information. It said 496 of the dead were protesters and 48 were with security forces.

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 independently assess the toll.

Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.

Those abroad fear the information blackout is emboldening hard-liners within Iran’s security services to launch a bloody crackdown.

Protesters flooded the streets in the country’s capital and its second-largest city on Saturday night into Sunday morning. Videos purported to show more demonstrations Sunday night into Monday, with a Tehran official acknowledging them in state media.

At 2pm on Monday, Iranian state TV showed images of demonstrators thronging Tehran toward Enghelab Square, or “Islamic Revolution” 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 “Iranian uprising against American-Zionist terrorism,” without addressing the underlying anger in the country over the nation’s ailing economy. State TV aired images of such demonstrations around the country, trying to signal it had overcome the protests.

Demonstrations began in December over the collapse of the currency and the country’s ailing economy (Vahid Salemi/AP)

In Tehran, a witness told the AP that the streets of the capital 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: “Given 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.”

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.

“Dear parents, in view of the enemy’s plan to increase the level of naked violence and the decision to kill people, … refrain from being on the streets and gathering in places involved in violence, and inform your children about the consequences of co-operating with terrorist mercenaries, which is an example of treason against the country,” the text warned.

The demonstrations began on December 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, which trades at over 1.4 million to one dollar (1.3 million to £1), as the country’s economy is squeezed by international sanctions in part levied over its nuclear programme.

The protests intensified and grew into calls directly challenging Iran’s theocracy.