Trump says Iran wants to talk, as death toll hits 544AP, DUBAI, United Arab EmiratesUS President Donald Trump said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic republic over its bloody crackdown on protesters, as activists yesterday said the death toll in the nationwide demonstrations rose to at least 544. Iran had no direct reaction to Trump’s comments, which came after the foreign minister of Oman — long an interlocutor between Washington and Tehran — traveled to Iran over the weekend. “Iran wants to negotiate.”“The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. With the Internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. State TV aired images of such demonstrations around the country, trying to signal it had overcome the protests.

Source: Taipei Times January 12, 2026 17:14 UTC