Iran Signals Willingness to Negotiate as Trump Weighs Military Options; Death Toll Tops 500

As protests driven by soaring inflation and the sharp fall of Iran’s currency intensify, the death toll has crossed 500, according to rights groups. The unrest has also drawn international attention, with US President Donald Trump saying Washington is weighing military options for a possible intervention.

Iran Protests: Latest Updates

Death toll crosses 500
At least 538 people have been killed since protests erupted, including 490 protesters and 48 members of the security forces, according to activists cited by Reuters. US-based rights group Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRNA) said more than 10,600 people have been arrested over the past two weeks of unrest.

Authorities intensify crackdown
The protests began on December 28 amid rising prices, inflation, and the rapid decline of the rial. Iranian authorities have accused the United States and Israel of instigating the unrest, with state media describing the demonstrations as “terrorist actions” linked to foreign interference, including fallout from last year’s 12-day war with Israel.

The government has also called for counter-protests, urging supporters to rally against what it says is US and Israeli influence.

Trump weighs US intervention
President Trump has repeatedly warned of potential US intervention in Iran. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, he said the situation was being reviewed closely by the US military.

“It looks like the line has been crossed. Some people who were not supposed to be killed have been killed,” Trump said, adding that Washington was considering “very strong options.”

Trump also claimed Iranian leaders had reached out to negotiate following US warnings, saying a meeting was being planned. However, he cautioned that the US “may have to act before a meeting” takes place.

Global protests in support of Iranians
As demonstrations continue inside Iran, solidarity protests have taken place across the world, including in Europe and the United States. Protesters have condemned what they describe as mass killings and the suppression of dissent by Iranian authorities.

In Los Angeles, a protest was disrupted when a U-Haul truck drove through a crowd of demonstrators. According to an Associated Press report, the vehicle was later stopped several blocks away and surrounded by police. Some protesters then attempted to confront the driver.

Exiled prince calls on security forces to defect
Exiled Iranian prince Reza Pahlavi, son of the country’s ousted Shah, urged members of Iran’s security forces to side with protesters.

“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,” Pahlavi wrote on social media, as rights groups warned of escalating violence by authorities.