US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters aboard Air Force One on January 12, 2026. Photo: Screengrab/The White House
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - United States President Donald Trump said on Monday that Iranian leaders have reached out to negotiate, amid escalating unrest inside the country, mass arrests of protesters, and the killing of dozens over the past two weeks.
“The leaders of Iran called” yesterday, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, adding that “a meeting is being set up... They want to negotiate.”
He also added that: “I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States. Iran wants to negotiate with us.”
Trump also addressed reports of killings in Iran during the protests.
“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,” Trump said.
“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options. We’ll make it determination.”
When asked by CNN whether Iran takes his threats seriously, Trump responded: “Wouldn't you say that they probably do at this point, after going through it for years with me? Being hit, Soleimani [Qasem Soleimani], al-Baghdadi [Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi], the Iran nuclear threat wiped out... What a stupid question.”
As the unrest continues in Iranian cities, the Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights (IHR) said Saturday it has confirmed the killing of at least 192 protesters, warning that the real number could be significantly higher.
“Unverified reports indicate that at least several hundreds, and according to some sources, more than 2,000 people may have been killed,” said IHR.
“Iran Human Rights expresses its deep concern over the escalation and continuation of the killing of protesters, as well as the serious risk of mass executions of detainees, and calls for an immediate response from the international community.”
IHR estimates that more than 2,600 protesters have been arrested.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, speaking in a televised interview on Sunday, said his administration is determined to address economic grievances and listen to protesters.
“We have made our decision to resolve their problems with every possible approach… That is why we are holding talks with them on a daily basis,” semi-official Tasnim news agency cited Pezeshkian as saying.
“We consider the protests of people rightful,” the president stated. “We would never disregard the ones expressing legitimate concerns.”
However, Pezeshkian accused foreign adversaries of exploiting the situation, saying riots, attacks on public properties, arson attacks on mosques, and burning Quran are plots by the United States and Israel.
For his part, Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also blamed Washington, telling lawmakers on Sunday that Iran is currently at war with the US and Israeli enemies in economic, cognitive, military and anti-terrorism spheres.
Taking aim at Trump, Ghalibaf said the Iranian people have decided to stand against armed terrorists, describing the unrest as a “terrorist war.”
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei echoed the accusations in remarks on Friday.
“The US president has the blood of more than 1,000 Iranians on his hands,” Khamenei said, adding that Donald Trump had confessed to ordering attacks during the 12-day war in June 2025.
In the United States, Senator Lindsey Graham voiced support for Trump on Monday, saying: “President Trump is not Obama. Freedom now, freedom forever for the long suffering Iranian people.”
He said that the Iranian regime's ruling will soon end.
“I believe your nation’s nightmare will soon be coming to an end."
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