Iran latest: Fears of major escalation with US after Trump trades threats with Tehran over widespread protests

Fears are growing of a major escalation between the US and Iran, after Tehran warned it is “ready for war” in response to Donald Trump’s threats of military action in the country

The US president said he is considering "very strong options" for a possible military response in Iran, after monitoring groups say at least 544 people have been killed died in clashes between demonstrators and security forces.

"We are ready for war but also for dialogue," Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi responded.

He said that warnings of military action against Tehran from Trump, if the protests turned bloody, would motivate “terrorists” to target protesters and security forces to provoke foreign intervention.

Trump and his national security team have been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran including cyber-attacks and direct strikes by the US or Israel, according to two people familiar with internal White House discussions.

But the US president also said Tehran had been in touch and "they want to negotiate" to prevent such action.

The US-based rights group HRANA reported on Sunday evening that the death toll had surpassed 500, and that more than 10,000 people had been arrested.

Key Points

Tehran says it is 'ready for war' with US but protests 'under total control'
Trump says US are looking at 'very strong options' for military action in Iran
Internet to be restored, says Tehran says without giving time frame
Fashion student, 23, shot dead in back of the head in Iran protests
Deaths from Iran protests reach more than 500, rights group says

Yvette Cooper calls on Iran to 'immediately end' violence against protesters

18:00 , Holly Evans

Yvette Cooper told her Iranian counterpart on Monday that his government must immediately end the violence against protesters in the country.

"The killing & brutal repression of peaceful protesters in Iran is horrific," the foreign secretary said on social media platform X.

"I have spoken to (Iranian) 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."

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.
— Yvette Cooper (@YvetteCooperMP) January 12, 2026

Watch: Shocking Iranian video footage shows bodies strewn outside morgue after vicious crackdown

17:45 , Daniel Keane

Could Iran retaliate against US military bases?

17:15 , Daniel Keane

Iran has threatened retaliatory attacks against Israel and US military centres in the Middle East after tensions escalated amid widespread demonstrations against Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Several US military bases lie within reach of Iran’s short-range weapons, according to estimates by the CSIS Missile Defence Project in the New York Times.

These include bases and military sites in Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates — all of which may be at risk of Iranian retaliation with short-range weapons.

In the wider region, the US operates a broad network of sites across at least 19 locations, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.

Here are the bases below.

Bulletin | Iran ‘ready for war’ in response to Trump’s threat of military action

16:44 , Alex Croft

Iran has threatened it is 'ready for war' following Donald Trump's warning of military action over the ongoing crackdown on anti-government protests.

Read all you need to know in just five bullet points with The Independent’s Bulletin:

Iran ‘ready for war’ in response to Trump’s threat of military action

In pictures: Iranian protesters light bonfires in late night protests

16:15 , Alex Croft

Turkey warns against foreign intervention in Iran

15:48 , Alex Croft

Turkey has said that any foreign intervention Iran would lead to greater crises in the country and the region, as it called for a resolution between Washington and Tehran.

Nato member Turkey does not wish to see chaos in Iran despite "certain problems within Iranian society and government", Omer Celik, spokesperson for Turkey's ruling AK Party, said.

"As Iranian president [Masoud] Pezeshkian has stated, these problems must be resolved through the internal dynamics of Iranian society and the national will of Iran," Celik told a press conference after a meeting of the ruling party.

"We believe that foreign intervention will lead to even worse consequences, and that intervention provoked by Israel in particular will lead to even greater crises."

Iranian representatives banned from European Parliament, says president

15:26 , Alex Croft

European Parliament president Roberta Metsola has banned all diplomatic staff and any other representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran from all European Parliament premises, she said on social media X on Monday.

“It cannot be business as usual,” she wrote.

“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.

“This House will not aid in legitimising this regime that has sustained itself through torture, repression and murder,” the post added.

Trump to speak with Musk about restoring internet access to Iran

14:42 , Alex Croft

Donald Trump has said that he plans to speak with Elon Musk about restoring internet in Iran, where authorities blacked out service amid ongoing anti-government protests.

"He's very good at that kind of thing, he's got a very good company," Trump told reporters in response to a question about whether he would engage with Musk's SpaceX company, which offers a satellite internet service called Starlink that has been used in Iran.

Musk and Trump have held an on-again, off-again relationship after the billionaire helped fund Trump's winning presidential campaign and subsequently orchestrated massive cuts to the federal government.

Musk and SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Independent view: Regime change in Iran would be welcome

14:40 , Alex Croft

Editorial: Iran’s unremittingly harsh leadership faces one of the most serious challenges to its theocratic rule since the Islamic Republic was established in 1979.

After weeks of nationwide protests, the ayatollahs’ spell could soon be broken – which is how counter-revolutions begin, and governments fall

Read the full article: Regime change in Iran would be welcome

Bombing Iran will help regime as Trump considers strikes, says Republican senator

14:19 , Alex Croft

A Republican US senator who has frequently broken rank with the president has warned Donald Trump against invading or launching strikes in Iran.

Sen. Rand Paul told ABC that while the protests, which are now nearing a third week, are a sign that many Iranians are tired to living under the current regime, there isn’t enough evidence that they were calling for or wanted U.S. intervention of any kind.

"I don't think it's the job of the American government to be involved with every freedom movement around the world," Paul told ABC’s Martha Raddatz.

"I think the protests are directed at the Ayatollah, justifiably so, and the best way is to encourage them and say that, of course, we would recognize a government that is a freedom-loving government that allows free elections. But bombing is not the answer.”

“[W]hen you bomb a country, then people tend to rally around their own flag,” Paul said. “They tend to see this as the — you know, a foreign country coming in and bombing us. And so, I don't think it always has that [intended] effect.”

Analysis: Iran’s regime is facing its gravest existential threat: here’s why - and what happens next

14:00 , Alex Croft

After a disastrous 12-day war with Israel last year and diminished support from its allies, Iran’s leaders have resorted to brutal violence to crush a mass uprising which is only going to get more bloody, writes chief international correspondent Bel Trew:

Iran’s regime is facing its gravest threat: here’s why – and what happens next

What has the Iranian regime said about the protests?

13:37 , Alex Croft

Iranian authorities accused the US and Israel of fomenting trouble and called for a nationwide rally on Monday to condemn "terrorist actions led by the United States and Israel," state media reported.

State TV aired live footage on Monday of large crowds attending a funeral procession for security forces killed in Shahrud and pro-government demonstrations in cities such as Kerman, Zahedan and Birjand, held “in condemnation of recent terrorist events”.

Foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said the situation in Iran was "under total control" after violence linked to protests spiked over the weekend. He said Trump's warning against Tehran of action if protests turned bloody had motivated what he called terrorists to target protesters and security forces in order to invite foreign intervention.

The protests began in response to soaring prices, before turning against the clerical rulers who have governed for more than 45 years.

EU warns may impose fresh and severe sanctions on Iran

13:15 , Alex Croft

The EU has warned that it could take action against Iran as the death toll of protesters across the country grows.

The bloc is prepared to propose a package of new and severe sanctions on Tehran if it does not halt its repressive measures, a spokesperson for the EU commission said on Monday morning.

Trump says US mulling 'some very strong options' on Iran as protest death toll rises - ICYMI

12:54 , Alex Croft

How could Iran retaliate against Trump? Fears attack on US military bases could spark war in Middle East

12:33 , Alex Croft

Iran has threatened retaliatory attacks against Israel and US military centres in the region after tensions escalated amid widespread demonstrations against Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

President Donald Trump has been unequivocal about his intention to use military action to intervene in Iran if protesters are killed. But despite his threats, monitoring groups say that hundreds have died since Thursday, with over 10,000 people arrested.

The American leader is to discuss the options for US intervention on Tuesday, according to the Wall Street Journal . He is said to be considering “very strong options”, which may include cyber-attacks and direct strikes by the US or Israel or tightening sanctions, sources said.

“We are ready for war but also for dialogue,” Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday.

Read more here:

How could Iran retaliate against Trump? Fears grow of attack on US military bases

A timeline of Iran's growing protest movement

12:12 , Alex Croft

28 December: Protests break out in two major markets in downtown Tehran, after the Iranian rial plunged to a new record low.

29 December: The central bank head resigns as the protests spread and police fire tear gas at protesters.

30 December: President Masoud Pezeshkian vows to work with business leaders to hear their demands as university campuses join protests.

31 December: Protests in Fasa allegedly turn violent after crowds break into the governor’s office.

1 January: The protests' first fatalities are officially reported, with authorities saying at least seven people have been killed.

2 January: Trump threatens Iran if it kills peaceful protesters.

3 January: Khamenei greenlights security forces in crackdown. Protests reach 170 locations with 15 dead.

8 January: The government blocks the internet after Reza Pahlavi calls on citizens to act.

9 January: Iran ramps up threats of punishment with 65 reported killed and 2,300 detained.

11 January: Iran’s parliament speaker threatens to strike US military bases in the region if Trump attacks, as rights groups say 538 people have now been killed. HRANA reports arrests have surpassed 10,000.

Recap: Trump says Iran wants to negotiate

12:07 , Alex Croft

US president Donald Trump said Iran reached out to the US and proposed negotiations after he threatened action over a crackdown on protesters.

Trump told reporters on Air Force One that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as the death toll in Iran mounts and the government continues to arrest protesters.

“I think they're tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump said. He added: “Iran wants to negotiate.”

US showing lack of seriousness in conversations, says Tehran

11:22 , Alex Croft

Earlier, we reported that Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said the US and Iran were willing to hold talks after Donald Trump threatened military action against Tehran.

We can now bring you more from the Iranian foreign ministry, which says Trump envoy Steve Witkoff has an open channel of communication with Tehran - but that Washington has demonstrated a lack of seriousness.

"The communication channel between our foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and the US special envoy [Steve Witkoff] is open and messages are exchanged whenever necessary," foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday.

Contacts also remain open through traditional intermediary Switzerland, he said.

"They [the US] touched upon some cases, ideas were brought up and in general... the Islamic Republic is a country that never left the negotiating table".

But he added that "contradictory messages" from the US showed a lack of seriousness and were not convincing.

Araqchi reiterated in a briefing to foreign ambassadors in Tehran that the Islamic Republic was ready for war but also open to dialogue.

Labour minister refuses to comment on Trump's threat to strike Iran: 'We do not comment on hypotheticals'

11:03 , Alex Croft

Fashion student, 23, shot dead in back of the head in Iran protests

10:44 , Alex Croft

A 23-year-old student was shot dead at close range after joining mass anti-government protests in Iran, according to a human rights group, as the regime continues its crackdown on demonstrations.

According to the Iran Human Rights group, Rubina Aminian, 23, was killed on 8 January after leaving Shariati College in Tehran, the nation’s capital, and joining protest gatherings.

Sources close to her family told Norway-based Iran Human Rights that Ms Aminian, who was a student of textile and fashion design, was shot from behind at close range, with the bullet striking her head.

Dan Haygarth reports:

Iranian student, 23, shot dead during protests and buried by the roadside

Shocking Iranian video footage shows bodies strewn outside morgue after vicious crackdown

10:25 , Alex Croft

Shocking footage shared from Iran appears to show scores of bodies in black bags strewn across a forensic facility in the capital, Tehran.

It comes as rights groups warn that well over 500 people have been killed in a bloody government crackdown after two weeks of nationwide protests calling for regime change.

Five separate clips shared by activists online show bodies, some bloodied and just in their underwear, littering the compound of the facility, where identification and death certificates are reportedly being issued.

Mourners are seen sobbing uncontrollably, some collapsing on the ground, as they move between the dead who are laid out inside several warehouses and even along an internal road in Tehran.

Two Iranian activist accounts, which have become credible sources of images smuggled out of the country, named the location as the Kahrizak forensic laboratory. They separately wrote that the regime had summoned civilians there to identify their dead.

With a nationwide international blackout in place, The Independent was unable to verify the footage, but matched parts of the buildings in the videos to satellite imagery of the sprawling facility, which is located just 20 km south of the city centre.

Read the full report by our chief international correspondent Bel Trew here.

In pictures: 'Free Iran' rallies take place around the world

10:05 , Alex Croft

Merz: Iran crackdown is sign of weakness for regime

10:02 , Alex Croft

German chancellor Friedrich Merz has said the violence must end in Iran.

He described the Iranian crack down on protesters as a sign of weakness in the regime, now strength.

Tehran says communication lines with Washington are open

09:21 , Alex Croft

Communication lines between Tehran and Washington remain open, such as through a US special envoy or traditional intermediaries such as Switzerland, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday.

He was responding, via an English translation, to a question about contact with U.S. President Donald Trump as Tehran faces protests.

Trump said on Sunday that Iran had called to negotiate its nuclear programme. Baghaei said that "contradictory messages" had been sent that caused ambiguity and that Iran remained committed to diplomacy.

Comment | Why I think the Islamic Republic cannot survive this uprising

09:03 , Alex Croft

This article, written by Mojtaba Dehghani, first appeared on our partner site, Independent Persian.

Over more than three decades of rule, Khamenei has faced repeated waves of unrests, protests and social and political movements: the Mashhad riots of 1992, the Islamshahr and Shiraz protests that followed, the student movement of 1999, the Green Movement of 2009, the December 2017 protests, the November 2019 uprising and finally the Mahsa movement of 2022.

Each time, the regime survived, at the cost of mass repression, killings and immense political and economic damage. That history may have led Khamenei and the small circle around him to believe that this latest wave of protests can also be crushed using the same old methods: violent suppression, attrition, cutting communications and dividing the opposition.

But what is unfolding today is fundamentally and strategically different.

Read more here:

Why I think the Islamic Republic cannot survive this uprising

UK will not ban IRGC, government minister suggests

08:42 , Alex Croft

A government minister has suggested the government would not pursue a ban on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, but refused to say whether the UK would support US intervention in Iran.

Business secretary Peter Kyle cited an independent review which he said found proscription for a foreign state organisation would not be an “appropriate” use of domestic legislation.

He told Times Radio: “When you look at domestic terror legislation, the way that we proscribe domestic organisations is using domestic legislation.

“The independent reviewer has said that that isn’t appropriate used for state bodies, but we are looking very closely at these issues.”

However, when asked by Sky News whether the government would support the US if it decided to strike on Iran, he said: “Well there’s a lot of ifs in the question itself, so we have to see how this unfolds. We need to understand specifically what Donald Trump and America is proposing.”

Online footage appears to show dozens of body bags in Tehran

08:19 , Alex Croft

Our chief international correspondent Bel Trew reports:

On Sunday, several Iranian Telegram pages and social media groups linked to the activist community, shared multiple clips filmed from different angles, apparently showing dozens, if not hundreds, of bodies in body bags laid out on the floor of a forensic facility in a southern area of Tehran. The Independent was unable to independently verify these.

In one series of clips shared by Sarah Ramani, an Iranian activist based out outside of the country, women can be heard screaming and crying, some collapsing in grief, while others move between bodies littering the ground inside and outside a warehouse, looking for their loved ones. The footage was allegedly filmed by someone on Thursday, who has since managed to leave Iran. A different video shared by “Vahid Online” the pseudonym of a popular Iranian blogger, also out of the country, appear to show similar scenes from the same facility.

Iranian state TV has also aired footage of dozens of body bags on the ground of Tehran’s coroner’s office, although it claims the dead were victims of “armed terrorists”.

Other video footage The Independent has seen includes the sound of continuous gunfire. Eyewitness accounts shared with activists’ Twitter accounts via Starlink describe widespread slaughter.

One person, reportedly speaking from the Narmak neighbourhood in the north-east of the capital, said the regime opened fire into crowds.

“I saw all the streets covered in bloodstains. They were washing the blood of this country’s children off the asphalt with high-pressure water after massacring them. There were bloodstains on all the city streets,” the unnamed person said.

Another added that mobile and landline calls are not working and that the regime is sending texts warning citizens not to leave their homes because “armed terrorists are out”. Shops are empty and food is running out.

Beijing opposes potential US strikes in Iran, says Foreign Ministry

08:08 , Alex Croft

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has held a press conference in which it discussed the ongoing situation in Iran - specifically Donald Trump’s threats to strike the country.

"We have always opposed interference in other countries' internal affairs and consistently advocated that the sovereignty and security of all nations should be fully protected by international law," spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular news briefing.

Beijing has a deep and enduring relationship with Iran, both economically and in its political alignment against the West.

Tehran says it is 'ready for war' with US but protests 'under total control'

07:39 , Alex Croft

We’re hearing more from Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, who has said the situation in Iran is “under total control” after the protests over the weekend.

Araghchi said Donald Trump's warning against Tehran of action - should protests turn bloody - motivated "terrorists" to target protesters and security forces in order to invite foreign intervention.

"We are ready for war but also for dialogue,", Araghchi said, referring to Trump’s threats. He added that Iran wants to hold talks with the USs, after Trump said on Sunday that Tehran “wants to negotiate”.

Breaking: Internet to be restored, says Iranian foreign minister

07:34 , Alex Croft

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has just said that internet service will be restored in Iran, in coordination with security authorities.

It is not yet clear what the time frame on this restoration will be, but by restoring the internet, a much clearer picture of what has taken place in the past week is likely to emerge.

Stay with us throughout the day for all the latest.

Donald Trump says Iran wants to talk

07:25 , Namita Singh

US president Donald Trump said on Sunday that Iran proposed negotiations after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its bloody crackdown targeting demonstrators.

Trump and his national security team have been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran including cyber-attacks and direct strikes by the US or Israel, according to two people familiar with internal White House discussions who were not authorised to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

"The military is looking at it, and we're looking at some very strong options," Mr Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night.

Asked about Iran's threats of retaliation, he said: "If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they've never been hit before."

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

"I think they're tired of being beat up by the United States," Trump said. "Iran wants to negotiate.

"The 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. Iran called, they want to negotiate."

There was no immediate acknowledgement from Iran of the offering for a meeting. The massive ongoing US military deployment to the Caribbean is a factor that the Pentagon and Trump's national security planners must consider.

Tehran also warned that the US military and Israel would be "legitimate targets" if America uses force to protect demonstrators. Trump meanwhile said the Islamic Republic reached out and proposed negotiations.

Over 10,000 protesters detained in Iran, says rights group

07:05 , Namita Singh

More than 10,600 people have been detained over the two weeks of protests, said the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in previous unrest in recent years and has also maintained a running death toll.

It relies on supporters in Iran crosschecking information. With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult.

Iran's government has not offered overall casualty figures.

Those abroad fear the information blackout is emboldening hard-liners within Iran's security services to launch a bloody crackdown. Protesters flooded the streets in the country's capital and its second-largest city on Saturday night into Sunday morning.

Online videos purported to show more demonstrations Sunday night into Monday, with a Tehran official acknowledging them in state media.

What is happening in Iran?

06:45 , Namita Singh

Buildings, buses and shops have been burned to the ground, turning Iran’s capital Tehran into a “war zone” as protests demanding the fall of the country’s supreme leader grow.

At least 500 people have been killed in clashes with police and more than 10,000 arrested, according to rights groups, who say the toll could be greater since Ayatollah Ali Khameini’s regime has cut off the outside world with a near-total internet blackout.

This unrest follows a tumultuous period for the regime, which is still recovering from a heavy 12-day conflict in June, initiated by Israel, that saw US forces bomb Iranian nuclear facilities, report my colleagues Maira Butt & James C. Reynolds.

What is happening in Iran? Internet blackout and Israel blamed after mass protests

Protesters try to attack driver after truck speeds through anti-Iran demonstration in Los Angeles

06:25 , Namita Singh

A chaotic scene unfolded in Los Angeles on Sunday after a man drove a U-Haul truck into a crowd protesting against the Iranian government, police say.

The incident happened around 3:30pm local time near the federal building in the Westwood neighborhood of the city, ABC7 reports.

Footage from the incident shows protestors trying to pull the suspect out of his vehicle after the collision, according to The LA Times. The protestors continued to lash out at the suspect as police escorted him away.

Report:

Man drives U-Haul into crowd protesting against Iranian government in LA: cops

Video: Trump says U.S. mulling 'some very strong options' on Iran as protest death toll rises

06:05 , Namita Singh

Death toll in Iran mounts as UK calls for Ayatollah’s regime to show restraint

05:45 , Namita Singh

The death toll in Iran mounted as protests continued to be brutally suppressed while the UK government called for the Tehran regime to show restraint.

Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands detained in the uprising against supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s rule.In London, protesters returned to Iran’s embassy, toppling the flagpole outside the building.

It is the second day running the Iranian flag has been targeted at the embassy – on Saturday a protester scaled the front of the building to replace the flag with the pre-Islamic revolution lion and sun standard.

Report:

Death toll in Iran mounts as UK calls for Ayatollah’s regime to show restraint

In pictures: People rally around the world in support of protests in Iran

05:25 , Namita Singh

Analysis: What next for Iran as its regime faces gravest existential threat

05:05 , Namita Singh

After a disastrous 12-day war with Israel last year and diminished support from its allies, Iran’s leaders have resorted to brutal violence to crush a mass uprising that is only going to get more bloody, writes chief international correspondent Bel Trew

Iran’s regime is facing its gravest threat: here’s why - and what happens next

Trump says Iran wants to negotiate

04:45 , Namita Singh

US president Donald Trump said Iran reached out to the US and proposed negotiations after he threatened action over a crackdown on protesters.

Trump told reporters on Air Force One that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as the death toll in Iran mounts and the government continues to arrest protesters.

“I think they're tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump said. He added: “Iran wants to negotiate.”

A timeline of Iran's growing protest movement

04:25 , Namita Singh