Trump Says Iran Seeks Negotiation After Warning of Military Intervention
President Donald Trump said on Jan. 11 that Iran’s leadership has contacted his administration to seek negotiations after he warned of possible military action in the wake of mass protests in Iran.
Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that Iranian leaders had reached out to U.S. officials and that a meeting between the two sides was being set up.
“I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States,” the president said. “Iran wants to negotiate.”
Trump warned that the United States “may have to act” before a potential meeting takes place because of the current situation in Iran, as the Iranian regime’s clampdown on protests has left hundreds dead.
“There seem to be some people killed that aren’t supposed to be killed. These are violent, if you call them leaders. I don’t know if their leaders are just ... they rule through violence, but we’re looking at it very seriously.
“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options. We’ll make a determination,” he said.
At least 544 people have died and about 10,681 others have been detained in Iran’s nationwide protests as of Jan. 11, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), which relies on supporters in Iran to cross-check its information.
Of those fatalities, HRANA said that at least 483 were protesters and 47 were law enforcement forces. The protests have now spread to all 31 provinces as they entered 15th day. HRANA said it was investigating hundreds more reports of people feared dead.
Trump earlier warned that the U.S. military would intervene if the Iranian regime escalates the use of lethal force against protesters.
“If Iran shots [sic] and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” he stated on Truth Social on Jan. 2.
The president reiterated on Jan. 10 that the United States is “ready to help,” spurring strong condemnations from Iran’s political elite.
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf threatened on Jan. 11 that Israel and U.S. military installations would be Iran’s “legitimate target” in the event of a U.S. strike.
The protests, which began on Dec. 28, 2025, were triggered by surging inflation and the collapse of the Iranian rial. Iranian authorities have signaled preparations for a harsher response after shutting down internet and phone access nationwide, severely limiting the flow of information and complicating efforts to verify casualty figures.
Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei stated on social media on Jan. 9 that protesters have been damaging properties across Tehran and other cities to please Trump and “make him happy.”
Chief Justice of Iran Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei has vowed that punishments for protesters would be “decisive, maximum, and without any legal leniency.”
📺 Watch NTD News 24/7 on cable, broadcast, and streaming: https://www.ntd.com/watch