Iran signals nuclear talks with Trump amid violent protest crackdown
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As diplomatic talks between Washington and Tehran gain momentum, Iran has intensified its rhetoric towards the region while maintaining violent pressure at home, according to analysts and eyewitness accounts obtained by Fox News Digital.
On Sunday and Monday morning, Iran issued new warnings that any military attack on its territory would ignite a regional conflict, even as senior Iranian officials signaled a willingness to negotiate. Reuters reported on Monday that Tehran is exploring the possibility of renewing nuclear talks with the United States after President Donald Trump said he was hopeful a deal could be reached to prevent military action against Iran, with Türkiye emerging as a potential venue and regional mediators such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar playing an active role.
US envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to arrive in Israel on Tuesday to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, according to Axios.
Senior Diplomat warns Iran will retaliate with ‘everything we have’ if US attacks
The government tax building burned down on a street in Tehran, Iran, during Iranian protests, January 19, 2026. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asian News Agency) via Reuters)
Following Zamir’s weekend visit to Washington, where he held a series of meetings with US defense officials on the Islamic Republic, the talks are expected to focus on Iran.
Benny Sabti, an Iran expert at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, told Fox News Digital that this pattern is consistent with Tehran’s long-standing strategy.
“This is very typical behavior for the Iranian regime,” Sabti said. He said that Iran deliberately escalated threats days ago, warning that if Iran were attacked, no country in the Middle East would be safe. “They treat the region as if it is being held hostage,” he said, adding that the tactic appears to have worked.
Sabti pointed to the list of mediators currently involved. “Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Qatar, they all went to the United States for negotiations,” he said. “They are trying to avoid being dragged into the Iranian threat.”
TRUMP SAID IRAN HAS ALREADY COMPLIED WITH US CONDITIONS AS THE CLOCK IS TIPPING FOR A MILITARY ATTACK
Iranians participate in an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, on January 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)
Tehran also projects mixed messages by design, according to Sabti. “There are two voices coming from Iran,” he said. “On the one hand, the generals, the Revolutionary Guard, the army are increasing threats. On the other hand, the foreign minister and the president are talking about negotiations.”
On Monday morning, Al Arabiya reported that Iranian news agencies Tasnim and Fars deleted a report that referred to approval of negotiations with the United States.
Even Iran’s National Security Council reflects this dual message, Sabti said. He noted that a deputy official recently signaled that Iran would not make any further progress on enriched uranium, while military officials simultaneously increased the rhetoric. “This means confusing the enemy and keeping the entire Middle East under pressure,” he said.
While Iran’s external stance oscillates between threats and diplomacy, reports from within the country show that the pressure on protesters has intensified.
Individual loss estimates vary widely. Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that 6,842 people were confirmed to have been killed by the end of the 36th day of protests, according to its latest aggregate data. According to HRANA, 6,425 of the deaths were recorded as protesters and 146 as children under the age of 18. The investigation of 11 thousand 280 more cases continues. HRANA and other opposition-linked groups have warned that the final death toll could be significantly higher, with some estimates as high as 30,000.
Fox News Digital obtained eyewitness statements from individuals identified as part of the MEK’s network of Resistance Units in Iran.
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Iran protested the rising death toll after Rubina Aminian joined hundreds of others allegedly killed by government forces. (MAHSA / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images))
An eyewitness from the Eslamshahr district in southern Tehran said that a group of 27 protesters were opened fire on and 10 people were killed. The source said one cousin was killed, the other cousin, 20-year-old Melika, was mutilated and the bodies were buried in a nearby park.
An eyewitness in Lahijan in Northern Gilan Province said 30 protesters were shot in front of the governor’s office on January 8, seven of whom later died in hospital. A 16-year-old teenager in Shiraz said that he was shot in the lips, eyes and throat with pellet guns and now has vision problems.
Another eyewitness from Bandar Abbas in southern Iran said that martial law has been in effect since January 18 and residents are prohibited from going out after 16:00 local time. The source claimed that security forces entered hospitals to remove or kill injured protesters, and that families were allegedly told to pay 10 billion riyals (about $8,000) to retrieve their children’s bodies.
Sabti said the renewed diplomacy also deepened public disappointment in Iran.
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While Iranian security forces are alleged to have killed detainees and burned their bodies during the protests, clashes continue in Kermanshah, Rasht and Mashhad, despite the government’s claims. (NCRI)
“Many protesters were very disappointed,” he said. “When Trump said ‘help is on the way’ on January 13, they believed it. They were very emotional. After 47 years, an American president was speaking in support of the Iranian people. But now they interpret his words as helping the regime, not the protesters. The disappointment is very deep.”
Reuters contributed to this report.
