Iran open to negotiations but ready for war as Trump weighs military action

Iran’s foreign minister said on Monday (January 12) that Tehran is keeping communication channels with the United States open but is prepared for either confrontation or dialogue, as President Donald Trump considers possible responses, including military action, amid reports of hundreds of deaths in protests across the country.

“We are not warmongers, but we are prepared for war. … We are also prepared for negotiations, but fair negotiations, with equal rights and mutual respect,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told a gathering of ambassadors in Iran.

Earlier, Trump said that Iran had proposed negotiations after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic, as a crackdown on demonstrators has led to hundreds of deaths.

Trump said late 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 mount of increasing deaths and the government continues to arrest protesters.

Diplomacy amid rising tensions

“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,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night.

Also read | Israel on ‘high alert’ as Trump weighs military options amid Iran protests

Iran did not acknowledge Trump’s comments immediately. It has previously warned that the US military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.

However, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson on Monday suggested that a channel remained open with the United States. Esmail Baghaei made the comment during a news conference in Tehran. “It is open, and whenever needed, through that channel, the necessary messages are exchanged,” he said.

At the same time, Baghaei said such 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.”

Casualties rise in crackdown

Meanwhile, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has accurately reported on past unrest in Iran, said at least 544 people have been killed so far, including 496 protesters and 48 people from the security forces. It said more than 10,600 people have been detained over the two weeks of protests. The agency relies on supporters in Iran to cross-check information.

With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has become more difficult. Iran's government has not offered overall casualty figures.

Pleading anonymity, a witness told news agency AP that the streets of Tehran are empty at the sunset call to prayers each night, partly due to apprehensions of getting caught in the crackdown.

Police sent the public a text message warning: “Given the presence of terrorist groups and armed individuals in some gatherings last night and their plans to cause death, and the firm decision not to tolerate any appeasement and to deal decisively with the rioters, families are strongly advised to take care of their youth and teenagers.”

Another text, addressed to “dear parents” and claiming to come from the intelligence arm of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, also directly warned people not to take part in demonstrations.

Thousands rally in govt support

Iran drew tens of thousands of pro-government demonstrators to the streets on Monday in a show of strength after nationwide protests challenging the country's theocracy.

Iranian state television showed images of demonstrators thronging Tehran toward Enghelab Square in the capital.

It called the demonstration an “Iranian uprising against American-Zionist terrorism,” without addressing the underlying anger in the country over the nation’s ailing economy, which sparked the protests over two weeks ago.

Also read | Iran’s Khamenei slams Trump, warns protesters of foreign links

State television aired images of similar demonstrations nationwide, seeking to signal that the protests had been overcome, as claimed earlier by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

China opposes outside intervention

On the other hand, China has said that it opposes the use of force in international relations and expressed hope that the Iranian government and people are “able to overcome the current difficulties and maintain national stability.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Monday that Beijing “always opposes interference in other countries' internal affairs, maintains that the sovereignty and security of all countries should be fully protected under international law, and opposes the use or threat of use of force in international relations.”

(With agency inputs)