Trump has said Iran wants to negotiate as the death toll in protests has risen to at least 544

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran wants talks with Washington after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to attack the Islamic Republic over a bloody crackdown on protesters, activists said Monday, with the death toll from nationwide protests rising to at least 544.

Iran had no direct response to Trump’s comments, which came after Oman’s foreign minister — a longtime negotiator between Washington and Tehran — traveled to Iran this weekend. It’s also unclear what Iran might promise, especially as Trump makes tough demands about its nuclear program and its ballistic missile arsenal, which Tehran insists are vital to its national defense.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking to foreign diplomats in Tehran, insisted the “situation is under complete control” in angry remarks that blamed Israel and the US for the violence without providing evidence.

“So the demonstrations turned violent and bloody to give the US president an excuse to intervene,” Araghchi said in comments carried by the Qatar-funded Al Jazeera satellite news network. Al Jazeera has been allowed to report live from inside the country despite the internet shutdown.

However, Araghchi said Iran is “open to diplomacy.” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghai said a channel was open to the U.S., but talks “must be based on the recognition of mutual interests and interests, not one-sided, one-sided and dictatorial talks.”

Meanwhile, on Monday, Iran saw thousands of pro-government protesters take to the streets in support of the theocracy, a show of force after a day of protests that directly challenged the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television broadcast chants from the crowd, which numbered in the thousands, chanting “Death to America!” chanted. and “Death to Israel!”

Others shouted: “Death to God’s enemies!” Iran’s attorney general has said that such charges would be punishable by death against the protesters.

Trump has accepted the offer of talks

Trump and his national security team are weighing a range of possible responses against Iran, including cyberattacks and direct strikes by the U.S. or Israel, according to two people familiar with internal White House discussions who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One Sunday night. Asked about Iran’s threat of retaliation, he said: “If they do that, we will hit them at a level they have never been hit before.”

Trump said his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but warned he may have to act first as the death toll in Iran rises and the government continues to arrest protesters.

“I think they’re tired of being beaten by the United States,” Trump said. “Iran wants to negotiate.”

He added: “The meeting is being scheduled, but we may have to take action on what’s going on before the meeting. But the meeting is taking place. Iran called, they want to talk.”

Iran warned through the speaker of the country’s parliament on Sunday that US forces and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if the US uses force to protect protesters.

More than 10,600 people have also been detained during the two weeks of protests, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said, which was accurate in previous unrest in recent years and gave the death toll. It depends on the proponents of crosschecking information in Iran. Among the dead, 496 were protestors and 48 were with security personnel.

With the internet down and phone lines down in Iran, it has been difficult to gauge protests from abroad. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll. Iran’s government has not released total casualty figures.

Those abroad fear that the information blackout is encouraging hardliners within Iran’s security services to launch a bloody crackdown. Protesters flooded the streets of the country’s capital and its second largest city from Saturday night into Sunday morning. Online videos purported to show more demonstrations on Sunday night and Monday, with a Tehran official admitting them to state media.

At 2pm on Monday, Iranian state TV showed images from Tehran of protesters crowding the capital’s Angelab Square, or “Islamic Revolution” Square. Statements were being broadcast since early morning from Iranian government, security and religious leaders to join the demonstration.

It called it an “Iranian revolt against US-Zionist terrorism” without addressing the underlying anger in the country over the country’s weak economy. State TV broadcast images of such demonstrations across the country, trying to signal that it had won the demonstration.

Fear is rife in Iran’s capital

In Tehran, a witness told the AP that the capital’s streets clear each night at sunset for prayers. By Isha, or night prayer, the streets are deserted.

Part of that stems from fear of being caught up in a crackdown. Police sent a text message to the public warning: “Given the presence of terrorist groups and armed individuals at some gatherings last night and their plans to cause their deaths, and the determination not to tolerate any appeasement and to deal decisively with rioters, families are strongly advised to take care of their youth and teenagers.”

Another text, which was claimed to be from the intelligence wing of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, also warned people not to participate in demonstrations.

“Respected parents, in view of the enemy’s plan to increase the level of naked violence and the decision to kill people, … refrain from coming to the streets and gathering in places involved in violence, and inform your children of the consequences of supporting terrorist mercenaries, which is an example of treason against the country.”

The witness spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing crackdown.

The demonstrations began on December 28 with the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, which trades at 1.4 million to $1, as the country’s economy is squeezed by international sanctions on its nuclear program. Protests intensified and escalated into calls to directly challenge Iran’s theocracy.

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Nikhinson reported from aboard Air Force One.