President Donald Trump said Iran had proposed negotiations after he warned of possible military action amid escalating unrest in the Middle Eastern country.
Trump said his administration was in talks to arrange a meeting with Tehran but cautioned that he may be forced to act first as reports of rising casualties emerge and Iranian authorities continue to arrest protesters.
“I think they’re tired of being beaten up by the United States,” he said.
The President said he was weighing a range of responses to the unrest, including potential military options.
The death toll from the uprising continues to rise. US-based rights group HRANA said it had verified the deaths of 490 protesters and 48 security personnel, while more than 10,600 people have been arrested during the past two weeks of unrest.
According to a Wall Street Journal report, the options under consideration include military strikes, covert cyber operations, expanded sanctions and providing online assistance to anti-government groups.
“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday night.
Meanwhile, Tehran has warned it would target US military bases in the Middle East if Washington carries out any intervention in support of protesters.
“Let us be clear: in the case of an attack on Iran, the occupied territories (Israel) as well as all US bases and ships will be our legitimate targets,” Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said.
The US military said it remains postured in the Middle East with forces capable of defending US interests, as well as its partners and allies. The US Navy’s Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet continues to operate in the region.
The US Navy's Mideast-based 5th Fleet is also stationed in the island kingdom of Bahrain.
