Closing summary
We’re pausing our live coverage – thank you for reading along. Here’s a quick recap of today’s key developments:
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At least 648 demonstrators have so far been killed in the ongoing crackdown by Iranian security forces against the most significant anti-government demonstrations in Iran in years, according to the latest count from the rights groups tracking the death toll. The true number, of course, could be far higher, given the difficulties arising from the days-long nationwide internet blackout. Here is a visual guide to the protest movement.
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Donald Trump said the United States was considering “very strong options” to intervene in Iran, having previously threatened to intervene militarily if the regime continued to kill protesters.
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Diplomatic channels between Washington and Tehran remain open, and the White House said today that Iran is sending “quite different” messages to the United States privately than what it is saying publicly, and the US has “an interest in exploring those messages”.
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While diplomacy remains the “first option”, Trump is “unafraid” to respond to the killing of protesters with military force “if and when he deems that necessary”, said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. She also said that the US president’s special envoy Steve Witkoff is and “will continue” to be a key player in diplomatic discussions with Iran.
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Iran’s supreme leader in turn accused the US of “deceit” and relying on “treacherous mercenaries”, while praising state-organised pro-government rallies in Tehran. You can read more about the staged rallies here.
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Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi warned that Iran was not seeking war but was “fully prepared” for war with the US. “If Washington wants to test the military option it has tested before, we are ready for it”, Araghchi told Al Jazeera Arabic, referring to last summer’s bombings of three nuclear sites in Iran. “We have a large and extensive military preparedness compared to what we had during the last war. We are prepared for all options and hope Washington chooses the wise option.” He went on: “We are also ready for negotiations but these negotiations should be fair, with equal rights and based on mutual respect.”
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The UK’s foreign secretary Yvette Cooper told Araghchi that the Iranian government must immediately end its “horrific” violence against protesters. In response, Araghchi warned the UK “to avoid interfering in Iran’s internal affairs”. He also threatened to evacuate the Iranian embassy in London.
Lastly, if it is safe for you to do so, we would like to speak to people in Iran. Could you tell us about your experience of living there during this time? How has the current situation affected your day-to-day existence? What are your thoughts on a US intervention?
We would also like to hear from Iranians living abroad. How are friends and family coping? What are your views on Trump’s comments regarding a US intervention?
Please note that while we’d like to hear from you, your security is most important. We recognise it may not always be safe or appropriate to record or share your experiences, so please think about this when considering whether to get in touch with the Guardian.
IP addresses will be recorded on a third-party web server, so for true anonymity, use our secure messaging service, however, anything submitted on the form below will be encrypted and confidential if you wish to continue.
“,”elementId”:”5b9ccf0b-3a56-4c09-b6fc-08a575a4cc9d”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
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At least 648 demonstrators have so far been killed in the ongoing crackdown by Iranian security forces against the most significant anti-government demonstrations in Iran in years, according to the latest count from the rights groups tracking the death toll. The true number, of course, could be far higher, given the difficulties arising from the days-long nationwide internet blackout. Here is a visual guide to the protest movement.
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Donald Trump said the United States was considering “very strong options” to intervene in Iran, having previously threatened to intervene militarily if the regime continued to kill protesters.
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Diplomatic channels between Washington and Tehran remain open, and the White House said today that Iran is sending “quite different” messages to the United States privately than what it is saying publicly, and the US has “an interest in exploring those messages”.
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While diplomacy remains the “first option”, Trump is “unafraid” to respond to the killing of protesters with military force “if and when he deems that necessary”, said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. She also said that the US president’s special envoy Steve Witkoff is and “will continue” to be a key player in diplomatic discussions with Iran.
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Iran’s supreme leader in turn accused the US of “deceit” and relying on “treacherous mercenaries”, while praising state-organised pro-government rallies in Tehran. You can read more about the staged rallies here.
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Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi warned that Iran was not seeking war but was “fully prepared” for war with the US. “If Washington wants to test the military option it has tested before, we are ready for it”, Araghchi told Al Jazeera Arabic, referring to last summer’s bombings of three nuclear sites in Iran. “We have a large and extensive military preparedness compared to what we had during the last war. We are prepared for all options and hope Washington chooses the wise option.” He went on: “We are also ready for negotiations but these negotiations should be fair, with equal rights and based on mutual respect.”
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The UK’s foreign secretary Yvette Cooper told Araghchi that the Iranian government must immediately end its “horrific” violence against protesters. In response, Araghchi warned the UK “to avoid interfering in Iran’s internal affairs”. He also threatened to evacuate the Iranian embassy in London.
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Lastly, if it is safe for you to do so, we would like to speak to people in Iran. Could you tell us about your experience of living there during this time? How has the current situation affected your day-to-day existence? What are your thoughts on a US intervention?
“,”elementId”:”1b03b39b-e54f-4bfc-99e3-d8817938d35a”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
We would also like to hear from Iranians living abroad. How are friends and family coping? What are your views on Trump’s comments regarding a US intervention?
“,”elementId”:”1ca1bd0b-6e85-4950-bd5f-79c427096ad9″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
Please note that while we’d like to hear from you, your security is most important. We recognise it may not always be safe or appropriate to record or share your experiences, so please think about this when considering whether to get in touch with the Guardian.
“,”elementId”:”c5fa0cfa-dd32-4b57-9c1f-2852d82e1550″},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
IP addresses will be recorded on a third-party web server, so for true anonymity, use our secure messaging service, however, anything submitted on the form below will be encrypted and confidential if you wish to continue.
“,”elementId”:”893073df-b22c-496d-8cda-f16c114399cd”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
You can share your views and experience in the form here.
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Earlier today, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said pro-government rallies in Tehran came as a warning to US politicians to “end their deceit” and not rely on what he called “treacherous mercenaries”.
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Praising the pro-government rallies, Khamenei said it had been a “historic day” and that these “vast gatherings filled with firm resolve thwarted the plans of foreign enemies that were meant to be carried out by domestic mercenaries”.
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The “Iranian nation is a powerful one, is aware and knows its enemies and is present in every scene”, he added.
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The great Iranian nation has asserted its resolve and identity in the face of its enemies.
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This was a warning to American politicians to end their deceit and not rely on treacherous mercenaries.
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Karoline Leavitt also said earlier that Iran is sending “quite different” messages to the United States privately than what it is saying publicly, and the US has “an interest in exploring those messages”.
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The White House press secretary told reporters:
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What you’re hearing publicly from the Iranian regime is quite different from the messages the administration is receiving privately, and I think the president has an interest in exploring those messages.
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She didn’t elaborate on the nature or content of those messages.
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Leavitt also said that Donald Trump does not want to see people “being killed in the streets of Tehran”.
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He’s made it quite clear he certainly doesn’t want to see people being killed in the streets of Tehran, and unfortunately, that’s something we’re seeing right now.
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And she also confirmed that the president’s special envoy Steve Witkoff is and “will continue” to be a key player in diplomatic discussions with Iran.
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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has told Fox News that diplomacy remains Donald Trump’s “first option” when it comes to Iran, but reiterated that the US president “he is unafraid to use the lethal force and might of the United States military if and when he deems that necessary”.
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She similarly told a gaggle of reporters outside the White House a short while ago:
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Airstrikes would be one of the many, many options that are on the table for the commander-in-chief. Diplomacy is always the first option for the president.
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Leavitt said, however, that Trump is “unafraid to use the lethal force and might” of the US military “if and when he deems that necessary”.
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“Nobody knows that better than Iran,” she added, referring to last summer’s US strikes on three major Iranian nuclear sites, which Trump claimed at the time had “obliterated” the facilities (though subsequent intelligence assessments and satellite imagery suggested the damage was more limited).
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House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks to members of the media outside the White House on Monday.”,”caption”:”White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks to members of the media outside the White House on Monday.”,”credit”:”Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters”}}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1768243327000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”13.42 EST”,”blockLastUpdated”:1768245336000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”14.15 EST”,”blockFirstPublished”:1768243698000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”13.48 EST”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”13.48″,”title”:”Trump ‘unafraid’ to use military force on Iran but wants diplomacy to be ‘first option’, says White House”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Mon 12 Jan 2026 16.32 EST”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Mon 12 Jan 2026 02.45 EST”},{“id”:”6965394a8f086f549682957b”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
And in response to that call with Yvette Cooper, Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, has warned the UK “to avoid interfering in Iran’s internal affairs”.
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He also said that if the UK cannot protect diplomatic missions, “Iran would be left with no choice but to consider evacuating our personnel” from its embassy in London.
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This is in reference to an incident over the weekend where a protester tore down the embassy’s Iranian flag and held up Iran’s pre-revolution flag. Here’s our story on that:
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The UK’s foreign secretary Yvette Cooper has said that she has told her Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, that the government must end its violence against protesters. Cooper wrote on X:
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n
The killing & brutal repression of peaceful protesters in Iran is horrific.
n
I have spoken to Foreign Minister Araghchi and told him directly: the Iranian government must immediately end the violence, uphold fundamental rights and freedoms, and ensure British nationals are safe.
n
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Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has expanded on comments he gave this morning about being “ready” for war with the US in an interview with Al Jazeera Arabic.
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The US joined Israel in its 12-day military operation of strikes into Iran in June
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“If Washington wants to test the military option it has tested before, we are ready for it”, Araghchi told the broadcaster, referring to the summer’s bombings of three nuclear sites in Iran.
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“We have a large and extensive military preparedness compared to what we had during the last war. We are prepared for all options and hope Washington chooses the wise option.”
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Trump on the weekend said he was considering “very strong military action” against Iran and was weighing up his options. He claimed that Iran reached out and proposed negotiations – Aragchi confirmed on Monday that he had been in talks with Steve Witkoff, special US envoy, “before and after” the protests.
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“Some ideas have been discussed with Washington and are currently being studied by us”, the Iranian foreign minister told Al Jazeera.
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Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has publicly commented following the pro-government rallies staged across the country.
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On X, he shared a picture of the demonstration in Tehran and wrote:
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n
In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. The great Iranian nation, Today you accomplished a great deed and made a historic day.”
n
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Crowds have been marching across the country each night since late December.
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Sarah felt she had little left to lose. A 50-year-old entrepreneur in Tehran, she watched as prices soared higher while her freedoms shrank each year.
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So, when protesters started gathering in the high-end Andarzgoo neighbourhood of Tehran on Saturday night, she was quick to join them.
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In a video sent to the Guardian via her cousin who lives abroad, people walk through the street, joyous, despite a halo of teargas hanging over their heads.
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The crowd was mixed, with families, elderly people and men walking side by side. The mood was calm, until security forces approached, raised their assault rifles and began to shoot at the unarmed protesters at close range.
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The next video she sent was hurried. “Shameless!” she repeated again and again as she drove away, the crackle of gunshots audible as people hurry past.
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On Thursday, Iran went dark. Authorities shut down the internet and the ability to call abroad, cutting the country off from the rest of the world.
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What happened next was documented in grainy videos and panicked messages ferried out of the country by activists who managed to grab a momentary Starlink connection before GPS scrambling shut their line down.
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Tens of thousands of pro-government demonstrators have rallied in Tehran as the Iranian regime sought to downplay the continuing nationwide protest movement.
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State TV showed crowds of people on Monday streaming through the streets of Tehran before gathering in Enqelab Square for the “Iranian uprising against American-Zionist terrorism” rally. There, they listened to a speech by the speaker of the parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who railed against western intervention.
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Ghalibaf said Iran was fighting a four-front war: an “economic war, psychological warfare, military war against the US and Israel, and today a war against terrorism”.
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The show of support by regime supporters came as the Iranian government tried to project an air of normality, despite being rocked by the largest protest movement the country has seen since 2009.
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Iran’s foreign minister claimed the situation in the country had “come under total control” on Monday in an address to foreign diplomats.
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Abbas Araghchi summoned ambassadors of the UK, Italy, Germany and France to the foreign ministry, Iranian state media reported, where he requested that their governments withdraw their support for protests.
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One of the rights groups tracking the death toll has released its latest update- saying at least 648 demonstrators have been killed in the crackdown by Iranian security forces.
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The Norway-based Iran Human Rights group said it had verified that tally but estimates the actual number could be much higher – in the thousands – given current difficulties in retrieving information from Iran.
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Earlier today, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRNA) reported there had been at least 599 deaths, and more than 10,600 arrests.
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The group relies on an activist network inside of Iran for its reporting and has been accurate in past unrest.
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Nearly 600 protests have taken place across all of Iran’s 31 provinces, says HRNA.
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The Iranian government has not offered overall casualty figures for the demonstrations.
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carry coffins during a funeral procession for members of security forces and civilians said to be killed in protests on Sunday, amid evolving anti-government unrest, in Tehran, Iran, in this screengrab from a video released on January 11, 2026. 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Iranian state media all day have been showing scenes of mass pro-government demonstrations in its cities.
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Again, we still have an internet blackout that has lasted more than three days now, so very little of what’s reported on the state-controlled outlets can be immediately verified.
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Those channels are appearing to show regime supporters turning up to marches and demonstrations around the country, including one in the capital Tehran, which appeared to draw thousands.
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President Masoud Pezeshkian was seen greeting demonstrators and marching with them. On the weekend he had urged people to show up on Monday to counter the past fortnight of protests. Iran’s president said he was “ready to listen” to protesters about the economic worries, but also warned of “terrorist elements” in the movement.
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Monday’s protests are being viewed as a government initiative to try and regain control of the streets.
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The European parliament says it will ban all Iranian diplomatic staff from its chambers and all premises.
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The president, Roberta Metsola, posted on X, that it “cannot be business as usual”.
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n
As the brave people of Iran continue to stand up for their rights and their liberty, today I have taken the decision to ban all diplomatic staff and any other representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran from all European Parliament premises.
n
This House will not aid in legitimising this regime that has sustained itself through torture, repression and murder.”
n
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The bloc says it’s ready to propose “new, more severe sanctions” on the regime “following the violent crackdown on protesters”.
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The EU already has sweeping sanctions on Iran – for a span of issues ranging from human rights abuses, the regime’s nuclear proliferation actions and support for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
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But this deadly crackdown in the latest wave of protests could lead to fresh sanctions, EU officials have said,
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As we’ve reported, authorities in Iran have been calling for those who support the regime to stage their own counter-protests.
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Iranian state media has been broadcasting footage of what they say are such rallies, in Tehran and elsewhere across the country today.
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IRIB and Tasnim News have both shared footage appearing to show protesters waving the regime’s flag. They say thousands of pro-government protesters who have turned out to counter what they call the recent “terrorist actions”.
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Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, has said communication lines with the US remain open, as the Trump administration continues to weigh the option of military strikes.
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“This channel of communication between our foreign minister (Abbas Araghchi) and the special envoy of the president of the United States is open,” Baghaei said, in apparent reference to Steve Witkoff.
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“Messages are exchanged whenever necessary,” he added, saying that while the US has no diplomatic presence in Iran, its interests are represented by the Swiss embassy.
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Baghaei said Iran has never left the negotiating table and remains committed to diplomacy, but stressed talks should be “based on the acceptance of mutual interests and concerns, not a negotiation that is one-sided, unilateral and based on dictation”.
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We have some more comments from Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, who has been addressing foreign ambassadors in Tehran.
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“The Islamic Republic of Iran is not seeking war but is fully prepared for war,” he said, as he warned adversaries against any “miscalculation”.
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“We are also ready for negotiations but these negotiations should be fair, with equal rights and based on mutual respect.”
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Araghchi said Iran is “more prepared” than during its 12-day war with Israel in June (when over 1,000 people were killed when Israel bombed Iran for nearly two weeks with almost complete impunity).
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The Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, also reportedly said this morning that internet connectivity would shortly be restored in Iran, including to embassies and government ministries. He did not say how long it would take for the internet to be restored.
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Iran’s internet shutdown has now lasted over 84 hours, according to internet tracking agency NetBlocks.
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The tracking agency said the blackout could be circumvented with shortwave radio, connecting to cell coverage at borders, Starlink and satellite phones.
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Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi has claimed the protests have now “come under total control” after the violence spiked over the weekend, according to comments being carried by Al Jazeera, which we have not been able to verify the veracity of yet.
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Araqchi was also quoted as having said the protests “turned violent and bloody to give an excuse” for the US president, Donald Trump, to intervene.
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He went on to say the demonstrations – which spread to almost all provinces and dozens of cities – were “stoked and fuelled” by foreign elements and vowed that security forces will “hunt down” those responsible.
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Because of the internet blackout it is difficult to get a clear picture of what is going on in Iran as it is hard to obtain information from the ground.
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foreign minister Abbas Araqchi claimed the nationwide protests in his country have now “come under total control”.”,”caption”:”Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araqchi claimed the nationwide protests in his country have now “come under total control”.”,”credit”:”Photograph: Vahid Salemi/AP”}}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1768203901000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”02.45 EST”,”blockLastUpdated”:1768209560000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”04.19 EST”,”blockFirstPublished”:1768204528000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”02.55 EST”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”02.55″,”title”:”Protests ‘under total control’, Iranian foreign minister claims”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Mon 12 Jan 2026 16.32 EST”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Mon 12 Jan 2026 02.45 EST”},{“id”:”69643a468f081b74a25d0ec9″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
Donald Trump said he is considering “very strong” military action against Iran’s ruling regime amid its crackdown on protests that have shaken the country and reportedly sent the death toll soaring.
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But the US president also claimed on Sunday that Iran’s leader had reached out to him and proposed negotiations. “A meeting is being set up … They want to negotiate,” Trump said, while adding that “we may have to act before a meeting”.
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Tehran has also ordered counter-rallies in Iran in an effort to regain the initiative, as well as warning the US earlier not to attack and vowing to hit back if it did.
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At least 538 people have been killed in the violence surrounding demonstrations, according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, including 490 protesters. The group reported that more than 10,600 people were arrested by Iranian authorities.
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Another rights monitor, the Norway-based Iran Human Rights group, said on Sunday it had confirmed the killing of at least 192 protesters but that the actual death toll could already amount to several hundred or more. It denounced a “mass killing”.
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The protests – now in their second week – were initially sparked by anger over the rising cost of living and have evolved into one of the biggest challenges to the rule of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86.
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in Tehran, Iran, on Saturday”,”caption”:”Protesters in Tehran, Iran, on Saturday. “,”credit”:”Photograph: Social Media/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock”}},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
In other key developments:
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Protests have grown in recent days despite an internet blackout that has lasted more than 72 hours, according to monitor Netblocks. Activists say the shutdown is limiting the flow of information.
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President Masoud Pezeshkian accused the arch-foes of Iran of “trying to escalate this unrest” and bringing “terrorists from abroad into the country”, in an interview broadcast Sunday with state media.
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Dozens of bodies have accumulated outside a morgue south of Tehran, according to footage on a video whose location was authenticated by the Agence France-Presse news agency on Sunday.
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State TV has aired images of burning buildings, including a mosque, as well as funeral processions for security personnel, with authorities confirming members of the security forces have been killed.
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Trump said on Saturday he would “rescue” protesters if the Iranian government killed them and reiterated his threat to intervene, posting on his Truth Social platform: “Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!”
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rise from burning debris in the middle of a street in Gorgan, in Iran’s Golestan province, on Saturday”,”caption”:”Flames rise from burning debris in the middle of a street in Gorgan, in Iran’s Golestan province, on Saturday amid the protests.”,”credit”:”Photograph: MEK/The Media Express/SIP/Shutterstock”}},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
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The Iranian government on Sunday declared three days of national mourning for “martyrs” including members of the security forces killed, state television said.
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Pezeshkian urged people to join a “national resistance march” of nationwide rallies on Monday to denounce the violence, which the government said had been committed by “urban terrorist criminals”, state television reported.
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Reza Pahlavi, who is the US-based son of Iran’s ousted shah and has played a prominent role in calling for the protests, said he was prepared to return to the country and lead a transition to a democratic government.
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Key events
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Some Iranians are still using Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service despite a nationwide communications blackout, three people inside the country said, the latest example of Starlink being used to counter internet shutdowns in geopolitical flashpoints.
Iranian authorities have in recent days launched a deadly crackdown on nationwide protests, including the near-complete shutdown of internet service, which is provided through fiber-optic cables and cellphone towers.
But Starlink, which beams its service directly from thousands of low-earth orbit satellites, is still working in some places in Iran, despite being banned by authorities there, three people using Starlink in the country told Reuters. One of them, in western Iran, said he knew dozens of people using Starlink and that users in border towns and cities were largely unaffected.
Alp Toker, founder of internet monitoring group NetBlocks, said he has heard from people in the region that there is still some Starlink access in Iran, though service appears reduced.
“It is patchy, but still there,” he said.
While it’s not clear how Starlink’s service was being disrupted in Iran, some specialists said it could be the result of jamming of Starlink terminals that would overpower their ability to receive signals from the satellites.
Starlink, which is part of privately held US company SpaceX, didn’t respond to requests for comment. Authorities in Iran could not be reached on Monday, amid phone and internet outages. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on terrorists and vowed to safeguard the governing system.
Iran’s supreme leader warns US politicians to ‘end deceit’
Earlier today, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said pro-government rallies in Tehran came as a warning to US politicians to “end their deceit” and not rely on what he called “treacherous mercenaries”.
Praising the pro-government rallies, Khamenei said it had been a “historic day” and that these “vast gatherings filled with firm resolve thwarted the plans of foreign enemies that were meant to be carried out by domestic mercenaries”.
The “Iranian nation is a powerful one, is aware and knows its enemies and is present in every scene”, he added.
The great Iranian nation has asserted its resolve and identity in the face of its enemies.
This was a warning to American politicians to end their deceit and not rely on treacherous mercenaries.
AFP is reporting that non-essential French embassy staff have left Iran, citing sources close to the matter. More on this as we get it.
Iran’s public and private messages to the US are ‘quite different’, says White House
Karoline Leavitt also said earlier that Iran is sending “quite different” messages to the United States privately than what it is saying publicly, and the US has “an interest in exploring those messages”.
The White House press secretary told reporters:
What you’re hearing publicly from the Iranian regime is quite different from the messages the administration is receiving privately, and I think the president has an interest in exploring those messages.
She didn’t elaborate on the nature or content of those messages.
Leavitt also said that Donald Trump does not want to see people “being killed in the streets of Tehran”.
He’s made it quite clear he certainly doesn’t want to see people being killed in the streets of Tehran, and unfortunately, that’s something we’re seeing right now.
And she also confirmed that the president’s special envoy Steve Witkoff is and “will continue” to be a key player in diplomatic discussions with Iran.
Trump ‘unafraid’ to use military force on Iran but wants diplomacy to be ‘first option’, says White House
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has told Fox News that diplomacy remains Donald Trump’s “first option” when it comes to Iran, but reiterated that the US president “he is unafraid to use the lethal force and might of the United States military if and when he deems that necessary”.
She similarly told a gaggle of reporters outside the White House a short while ago:
Airstrikes would be one of the many, many options that are on the table for the commander-in-chief. Diplomacy is always the first option for the president.
Leavitt said, however, that Trump is “unafraid to use the lethal force and might” of the US military “if and when he deems that necessary”.
“Nobody knows that better than Iran,” she added, referring to last summer’s US strikes on three major Iranian nuclear sites, which Trump claimed at the time had “obliterated” the facilities (though subsequent intelligence assessments and satellite imagery suggested the damage was more limited).
Iran’s foreign minister warns UK ‘to avoid interfering in Iran’s affairs’ and threatens to evacuate embassy
And in response to that call with Yvette Cooper, Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, has warned the UK “to avoid interfering in Iran’s internal affairs”.
He also said that if the UK cannot protect diplomatic missions, “Iran would be left with no choice but to consider evacuating our personnel” from its embassy in London.
This is in reference to an incident over the weekend where a protester tore down the embassy’s Iranian flag and held up Iran’s pre-revolution flag. Here’s our story on that:
UK tells Iran to end ‘horrific’ violence against protesters
The UK’s foreign secretary Yvette Cooper has said that she has told her Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, that the government must end its violence against protesters. Cooper wrote on X:
The killing & brutal repression of peaceful protesters in Iran is horrific.
I have spoken to Foreign Minister Araghchi and told him directly: the Iranian government must immediately end the violence, uphold fundamental rights and freedoms, and ensure British nationals are safe.
Iranian FM says regime ready against any US military action
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has expanded on comments he gave this morning about being “ready” for war with the US in an interview with Al Jazeera Arabic.
The US joined Israel in its 12-day military operation of strikes into Iran in June
“If Washington wants to test the military option it has tested before, we are ready for it”, Araghchi told the broadcaster, referring to the summer’s bombings of three nuclear sites in Iran.
“We have a large and extensive military preparedness compared to what we had during the last war. We are prepared for all options and hope Washington chooses the wise option.”
Trump on the weekend said he was considering “very strong military action” against Iran and was weighing up his options. He claimed that Iran reached out and proposed negotiations – Aragchi confirmed on Monday that he had been in talks with Steve Witkoff, special US envoy, “before and after” the protests.
“Some ideas have been discussed with Washington and are currently being studied by us”, the Iranian foreign minister told Al Jazeera.
Ayatollah praises today’s pro-government rallies
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has publicly commented following the pro-government rallies staged across the country.
On X, he shared a picture of the demonstration in Tehran and wrote:
In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. The great Iranian nation, Today you accomplished a great deed and made a historic day.”
