January 12, 2026 12:03 pm (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
IPAC raid row escalates! ED drags Mamata Banerjee to Supreme Court after High Court chaos | 'Easy way or hard way': Trump doubles down on controversial push to acquire Greenland | Hindu tenant farmer shot dead in Pakistan’s Sindh, sparks massive protests | India vs NYC Mayor: MEA hits back after Mamdani backs jailed activist Umar Khalid | US Commerce Secretary blames India for trade deal failure: 'Modi didn’t call Trump' | Jana Nayagan controversy: Madras HC steps in, orders CBFC to clear Vijay film | Telecom shakeup: Vodafone Idea shares soar as AGR dues finally sorted | Dragged by police outside Amit Shah’s office! 8 TMC MPs detained as ED row explodes | Trump backs bill threatening 500% tariffs on India over Russian oil trade | ED alleges Mamata 'forcibly removed documents' during IPAC raids, CM calls Amit Shah 'nasty Home Minister'
Iran Protests
US President Donald Trump. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Flickr/The White House

544 Dead, thousands jailed: Trump says Iran wants talks as protests explode

| @indiablooms | Jan 12, 2026, at 09:26 am

US President Donald Trump on Sunday said Iran’s leadership has sought talks with Washington amid his warnings of possible military action in response to Tehran’s ongoing crackdown on anti-regime protesters.

“The leaders of Iran called,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on January 11, as quoted by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

“We may meet with them. A meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. … But a meeting is being set up,” Trump was quoted as saying by Axios.

Meanwhile, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said the violent crackdown on anti-regime protests has resulted in at least 544 deaths.

The agency added that more than 10,681 people have been transferred to prisons following their arrests.

According to the group, protests have erupted at 585 locations across 186 cities, spanning all 31 provinces of Iran.

The unrest, which initially began over soaring inflation, has now escalated into demands for an end to clerical rule under Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The current demonstrations mark the most widespread protests since the 2022 uprising, which followed the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody.

Amini, a Kurdish woman, was detained by Iran’s morality police for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly. Her death sparked nationwide protests and drew international condemnation.

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.