3 minute read
Iran said on Monday it is keeping communications open with the U.S. as President Donald Trump weighed responses to the crackdown on protests, Reuters reported.
Trump said on Sunday the U.S. may meet Iranian officials and that he is in contact with the opposition, while piling pressure on the Islamic Republic's leaders, including threatening possible military action in response to violence against protesters, Reuters reported.
"The communication channel between our Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and the U.S. special envoy (Steve Witkoff) is open and messages are exchanged whenever necessary," Reuters quoted foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei as saying.
Contacts also remain open through traditional intermediary Switzerland, he said.
"They (U.S.) touched upon some cases, ideas were brought up and in general (...) the Islamic Republic is a country that never left the negotiating table". But he added that "contradictory messages" from the U.S. showed a lack of seriousness and were not convincing.
Araqchi reiterated in a briefing to foreign ambassadors in Tehran that the Islamic Republic was ready for war but also open to dialogue.
U.S.-based rights group HRANA said it had verified the deaths of 490 protesters and 48 security personnel, with more than 10,600 people arrested since the protests began on December 28.
Iran has not given an official toll.
Iranian authorities accused the U.S. and Israel of fomenting trouble and called for a nationwide rally on Monday to condemn "terrorist actions led by the United States and Israel," state media reported.
The protests began in response to soaring prices, before turning against the government.
After an internet blackout in Iran, Trump said on Sunday he would talk to Elon Musk about restoring internet access in Iran through his Starlink satellite service, according to Reuters.
The Iranian government said internet service will be resumed in coordination with security authorities.
Iranian authorities on Sunday declared three days of national mourning "in honour of martyrs killed in resistance against the United States and the Zionist regime," Reuters reported citing state media.