Iran seeks talks amid nationwide protests as Trump warns of possible action

WEB DESK: US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Iran’s leadership had reached out to initiate negotiations, amid widespread anti-government protests and escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said Iranian officials had contacted his administration a day earlier. “They called and said they want to negotiate,” he said, adding that arrangements were under way for a possible meeting. However, he warned that Washington could still take action before any talks materialise.

Trump’s remarks come as Iran faces its most serious wave of protests since 2022. Demonstrations that began on December 28 over rising living costs have since evolved into broader opposition to the ruling system established after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Iranian authorities have not released official casualty figures, and independent verification remains difficult due to restrictions on information.

Tehran disrupted as protests spread

An AFP journalist in Tehran described daily life as heavily disrupted, with large parts of the city effectively shut down. Prices of basic goods, including meat, have surged sharply, while many businesses remain closed or shut early as security forces deploy across urban areas.

Online footage of protests appeared less frequently on Sunday, though it was unclear whether this reflected reduced demonstrations or ongoing internet restrictions. Videos circulating on social media showed crowds gathering in several neighbourhoods, including Tehran’s Pounak area, chanting slogans in support of Iran’s former monarchy.

Government seeks to project control

State media has portrayed the unrest as subsiding, airing footage of normal traffic flows and calm streets. Tehran Governor Mohammad-Sadegh Motamedian claimed in televised remarks that protest activity was declining. The government has announced three days of national mourning for security personnel killed during the unrest, describing them as “martyrs”.

President Masoud Pezeshkian urged citizens to participate in a nationwide march on Monday to condemn violence and show unity. Meanwhile, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that any US military intervention would be met with retaliation, describing American forces and shipping in the region as legitimate targets.

Trump raises possibility of restoring internet access

Trump also said he intended to speak with billionaire Elon Musk about restoring internet access in Iran, where authorities have imposed a near-total blackout for several days. He suggested Musk’s satellite-based Starlink service could help reconnect Iranians. Neither Musk nor SpaceX immediately commented.

Opposition voices grow louder abroad

Reza Pahlavi, the US-based son of Iran’s last shah, called on civil servants and security forces to side with protesters, urging them to abandon what he described as a violent ruling system. He also appealed for Iranian embassies worldwide to replace the current national flag with the pre-revolution tricolour.

Over the weekend, demonstrators in London briefly replaced the Iranian embassy’s flag with the old banner, prompting Tehran to summon the British ambassador in protest, according to Iranian state media.