Iran Says It’s Open to Talks as Death Toll Rises Past 500

International

-Madhuri Adnal

The
nationwide
Iran
protests
over
inflation
and
the
collapsing
rial
have
turned
deadlier,
with
rights
monitors
reporting
more
than
500
deaths
and
thousands
detained.
US
President
Donald
Trump
has
said
Washington
is
examining
military
options,
while
demonstrations
backing
Iranian
protesters
continue
in
several
countries,
including
Germany
and
the
United
States.

US-based
rights
group
HRNA
has
reported
at
least
490
protesters
and
48
security
personnel
killed
during
the
last
two
weeks
of
unrest,
taking
the
total
death
toll
past
500.
Activists
cited
by
Reuters
say
the
overall
figure
has
reached
538.
More
than
10,600
people
have
been
arrested
during
this
period,
according
to
the
same
rights
networks.

Iran
protests
death
toll
and
arrests

Data
from
activists
and
rights
organisations
linked
to
the
Iran
protests
show
a
rapidly
rising
casualty
count
and
large-scale
detentions.
Demonstrations
first
erupted
on
28
December
over
soaring
prices
and
inflation.
Since
then,
security
forces
and
protesters
have
both
suffered
fatalities,
while
prisons
across
Iran
have
reportedly
seen
a
sharp
influx
of
detainees
from
the
streets.

To
clarify
the
current
picture
of
the
Iran
protests,
rights
groups
have
provided
the
following
figures:

Iran
protests
and
Trump’s
military
options

Donald
Trump
has
repeatedly
raised
the
possibility
of
United
States
involvement
as
the
Iran
protests
grow.
Speaking
with
reporters
aboard
Air
Force
One
on
Sunday,
Trump
again
said
military
steps
are
under
consideration.
The
comments
follow
several
earlier
warnings
from
Washington
about
a
potential
response
to
the
Iranian
authorities’
handling
of
the
unrest.

Trump
said,
“It
looks
like
(the
line
has
been
crossed)…
Some
people,
who
were
not
supposed
to
be
killed,
have
been
killed…
If
you
talk
about
leaders,
I
don’t
know
if
they
are
leaders
or
just
rule
through
violence…
But
we
and
the
military
are
looking
at
it
very
seriously,
and
we
are
looking
at
some
very
strong
options,” according
to
reporters
travelling
with
the
president.

The
US
president
also
claimed
Iran’s
leadership
has
recently
reached
out
following
warnings
linked
to
the
Iran
protests.
Trump
stated,
‘The
leaders
of
Iran
called”
yesterday,
he
told
reporters
aboard
Air
Force
One,
adding
that
“a
meeting
is
being
set
up…
They
want
to
negotiate.”
Trump
nevertheless
cautioned
that
“we
[the
US]
may
have
to
act
before
a
meeting.”

Iran
protests
and
government
crackdown
narrative

Inside
the
country,
Iranian
officials
have
intensified
their
response
to
the
Iran
protests,
which
began
on
28
December.
State
media
reports
say
authorities
see
the
unrest
as
part
of
“terrorist
actions
led
by
the
United
States
and
Israel,”
with
references
to
the
12-day
war
with
Israel
last
year.
Tehran
has
publicly
accused
Washington
and
Israel
of
“fomenting
trouble”
during
the
current
crisis.

As
demonstrations
continued,
the
government
has
encouraged
counter-rallies
against
what
officials
describe
as
foreign
interference
driving
the
Iran
protests.
Supporters
of
the
authorities
have
been
urged
to
march
against
United
States
and
Israeli
influence.
At
the
same
time,
security
forces
have
moved
to
suppress
gatherings
over
inflation
and
the
falling
currency
in
numerous
towns
and
cities.

Iran
protests
spark
global
solidarity
rallies

Anger
over
the
situation
and
reports
of
“mass
killings” in
Tehran
has
triggered
solidarity
marches
linked
to
the
Iran
protests
in
other
countries.
In
Berlin,
protesters
carried
placards
and
banners
criticising
Iran’s
leadership
during
a
rally
on
10
January
2026.
Demonstrators
voiced
support
for
those
confronting
rising
prices
and
demanding
political
change
inside
Iran.

In
the
United
States,
people
also
gathered
to
back
the
Iran
protests
and
condemn
the
crackdown.
In
Los
Angeles,
a
rally
was
briefly
disrupted
when
a
U-Haul
truck
allegedly
tried
to
drive
toward
the
crowd.
According
to
an
Associated
Press
report,
police
stopped
the
vehicle
several
blocks
away,
where
protesters
then
surrounded
the
truck
and
attempted
to
attack
the
driver.

Iran
protests
and
message
from
exiled
prince

From
outside
the
country,
exiled
prince
Reza
Pahlavi
has
appealed
directly
to
those
working
for
the
state
as
the
Iran
protests
continue.
Pahlavi,
son
of
Iran’s
ousted
Shah,
urged
security
forces
and
government
employees
to
“stand
with
the
people”
rather
than
back
the
current
leadership
during
the
crackdown
on
demonstrators
across
the
country.

Pahlavi
wrote,
“Employees
of
state
institutions,
as
well
as
members
of
the
armed
and
security
forces,
have
a
choice:
stand
with
the
people
and
become
allies
of
the
nation,
or
choose
complicity
with
the
murderers
of
the
people,”
after
rights
groups
warned
of
“mass
killings”
by
authorities
responding
to
the
Iran
protests.
The
message
added
further
international
pressure
on
Tehran’s
security
strategy.

The
Iran
protests
have
therefore
moved
from
local
anger
over
inflation
to
a
conflict
drawing
in
external
powers,
exiled
figures
and
global
demonstrators.
With
hundreds
reported
dead,
thousands
detained
and
the
United
States
openly
reviewing
military
options,
both
the
government
and
its
opponents
are
under
scrutiny,
while
future
developments
remain
centred
on
events
inside
Iranian
streets.