President Trump said Iran’s leaders called him Saturday to negotiate a deal following his threats to defend protesters who face death for participating in anti-regime demonstrations — adding that the US may have to “act” before a meeting.
“Iran wants to negotiate, yes. We may meet with them, I mean a meeting is being set up,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One late Sunday.
“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,” he continued.
The president added that the US is considering some “strong options” in response to Iran’s merciless crackdown on protests, without elaborating on what deliberations have taken place.
“There seemed to be some people killed that aren’t supposed to be killed,” Trump said.
“But we’re looking at it very seriously. The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some strong options, and we’re going to making a determination,” he said.
The commander in chief said he’s been receiving hourly briefings on protests in the country.
“Some of the protesters were killed from all the stampeding, there were so many of them. And some were shot … I’m getting an hourly report, and we’re going to make a determination,” he told reporters.
Trump’s words come as at least 496 protesters have been killed in the two weeks of unrest that has spread across Iran’s oppressive theocracy, according to estimates released Sunday from US-based Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRANA).
More than 10,600 people have also been arrested during the massive demonstrations, the rights group said, as body bags have been photographed piling up in Tehran.
Trump said in a Truth Social post on Jan. 2 that the US is “locked and loaded and ready”to help the protesters.
“If Iran shots [sic] and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue,” Trump wrote.
“We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” the president added, without elaborating.
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that the US and Israel could become “legitimate targets” if the US decided to strike the Islamic Republic.
“In the event of an attack on Iran, both the occupied territory (Israel) and all American military centers, bases and ships in the region will be our legitimate targets,” Qalibaf said in a live TV broadcast.
When asked if he was concerned about possible retalitory attacks, Trump said the US would “hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”
“If they do that we’ll consider things targets that they wouldn’t believe. If they do that we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before,” Trump told reporters on Sunday.
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