U.S. President Donald Trump says Iran has proposed negotiations after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic, as a crackdown on demonstrators has led to hundreds of deaths.

Trump said late Sunday his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act before then as reports of deaths mount and Iran's government continues to arrest protesters.

“Iran called, they want to negotiate,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One.

Iran did not acknowledge Trump’s comments immediately. It has previously warned the U.S. military, and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has accurately reported on past unrest, said at least 599 people have been killed, including 510 protesters and 89 members of security forces. It said over 10,600 people have been detained during the two weeks of protests. The group relies on supporters in Iran to cross-check 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.

The Latest:

Activists say the death toll has reached at least 646 people
Activists said the death toll from ongoing protests has at least 646 people. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in previous unrest in recent years and gave the latest death toll early Tuesday. It relies on supporters in Iran cross-checking information. It said 512 of the dead were protesters and 134 were security force members.

More than 10,700 people have also been detained over the two weeks of protests, said the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in previous unrest in recent years and gave the latest death toll early Tuesday. It relies on supporters in Iran cross-checking information. It said 512 of the dead were protesters and 134 were security force members.

2 arrested at protest outside Iran's embassy in New Zealand
In New Zealand, two people were arrested Tuesday during a protest outside the Iranian embassy in Wellington, authorities said. About 20 people protested outside the embassy, while police officers monitored the situation, the police said in a statement. Officers were considering wilful damage charges against the pair arrested.

“Police recognise the lawful right to protest, and maintained a presence to ensure the safety of all involved,” a statement said. Radio New Zealand reported that a man climbed onto a fence at the embassy to erect a pre-1979 Iranian flag, before it was removed by someone from inside the embassy.

Meanwhile, foreign ministry officials in Wellington have reminded New Zealanders of advice that they shouldn’t travel to Iran and should leave immediately if they are there. The advisory has been in place since November 2024.

Trump says Iran's trade partners to face 25% tariffs from the U.S.
Trump said Monday that Iran’s trade partners will face 25% tariffs from the United States as he looks to pressure Tehran over its violent protest crackdown that’s left nearly 600 dead across the country.

The U.S. president has repeatedly threatened Tehran with U.S. military action if his administration found the Islamic Republic was using deadly force against anti-government protesters. It’s a red line that Trump says he believes Iran is “starting to cross” and has left him and his national security team weighing “very strong options.”

Trump announced the tariffs in a social media posting, saying they would be “effective immediately.”

China, Brazil, Turkey, and Russia are among the economies that do business with Tehran.

Iran and the U.K. trade sharp statements
The top diplomats for Iran and Britain have traded sharp statements after speaking by phone.

U.K. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said she told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that Iran must halt the violence aimed at its people. She wrote on X that the killing and repression of peaceful protesters is “horrific.”

Araghchi responded by saying the U.K. should stay out of Iran’s internal affairs. He also criticized security at the Iranian embassy in London, where a demonstrator on Saturday scaled a wall and replaced the Islamic Republic’s flag with the banner flown before the Western-backed shah was overthrown in 1979.

“If the U.K. cannot uphold its duty to protect diplomatic missions, Iran would be left with no choice but to consider evacuating our personnel,” Araghchi said.

White House says airstrikes are among options for Iran, but diplomacy is the  first choice
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has told reporters that airstrikes are among the “many, many options” that Trump is considering, but that “diplomacy is always the first option for the president.”

Trump on Sunday said Iranian officials have reached out for talks. He has threatened to take military action against the Islamic Republic for its crackdown on the protests.

“What you’re hearing publicly from the Iranian regime is quite different from the messages the administration is receiving privately, and I think the president has an interest in exploring those messages,” Leavitt said. “However, with that said, the president has shown he’s unafraid to use military options if and when he deems necessary, and nobody knows that better than Iran.”

The U.S. last year bombed Iranian nuclear sites when it inserted itself into the 12-day war between Israel and Iran.

Russian official alleges foreign interference
The executive secretary of Russia’s Security Council has condemned what he described as foreign interference in Iran’s internal affairs.

The council said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies that Sergei Shoigu spoke by phone on Monday with his counterpart Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran.

The statement said Shoigu also expressed condolences over the numerous casualties, without elaboration.

Iran has alleged foreign influence in the protests.

European Parliament bans Iranian diplomats from its premises
The ban was announced Monday by the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola. “This House will not aid in legitimizing this regime that has sustained itself through torture, repression, and murder,” Metsola wrote on X. She also praised protesters who “continue to stand up for their rights and their liberty.”