The math in Tehran just changed.
President Trump threatened to strike Iran “at levels they’ve never been hit before” if the regime continued slaughtering protesters. Days later, Iran’s foreign ministry says they’re “open to diplomacy.”
“Iran called, they want to negotiate,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One.
That’s what happens when America has a president willing to use force. Suddenly, negotiation becomes attractive.
544 Dead. 10,600 Detained. And Counting.
The scale of Iran’s crackdown is staggering.
At least 544 people have been killed according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency — 496 protesters and 48 security forces. Over 10,600 people have been detained in just two weeks.
The internet is down nationwide. Phone lines are cut. The regime is operating in deliberate darkness, hoping the world won’t see what they’re doing.
But the numbers keep leaking out. And Trump is watching.
The Regime Is Texting Threats to Families
This is what totalitarian desperation looks like.
Police sent text messages to Iranian citizens warning: “Given the presence of terrorist groups and armed individuals in some gatherings last night and their plans to cause death, and the firm decision to not tolerate any appeasement and to deal decisively with the rioters, families are strongly advised to take care of their youth and teenagers.”
Translation: keep your kids home or we’ll kill them.
The Revolutionary Guard’s intelligence arm sent another message: “Dear parents, in view of the enemy’s plan to increase the level of naked violence and the decision to kill people… inform your children about the consequences of cooperating with terrorist mercenaries, which is an example of treason against the country.”
They’re calling protesters “terrorist mercenaries” and threatening to kill them. Then they’re telling parents it’ll be their fault.
Oman Showed Up. That Means Something.
Oman’s foreign minister traveled to Tehran this weekend.
That’s significant. Oman has historically served as the back channel between Washington and Tehran. When the mullahs want to talk without publicly admitting they want to talk, they go through Muscat.
The timing — right after Trump’s strike threats — isn’t coincidental. Iran is looking for an exit ramp.
What Iran Wants vs. What Trump Wants
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said talks needed to be “based on the acceptance of mutual interests and concerns, not a negotiation that is one-sided, unilateral and based on dictation.”
In other words: don’t treat us like the losing side.
But here’s Trump’s position: Iran abandons its nuclear program and its ballistic missile arsenal.
Tehran insists those missiles are “crucial for national defense.” They’re not giving them up easily.
The gap between the two positions is enormous. Whether Trump’s pressure can close it — or whether military action becomes necessary — remains to be seen.
“The Situation Has Come Under Total Control”
That’s what Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told diplomats Monday.
He blamed Israel and the U.S. for the violence — claiming without evidence that outside forces turned the protests “violent and bloody to give an excuse to the American president to intervene.”
Right. Millions of Iranians took to the streets because their currency collapsed and their economy is in ruins. But sure, it’s all an Israeli plot.
The regime can’t admit the truth: their people hate them. Forty-five years of theocratic rule has produced economic collapse, international isolation, and a population willing to risk death for change.
Pro-Regime Rallies: “Death to America!”
While protesters fill the streets at night, the regime bused in supporters for daytime demonstrations Monday.
State television showed crowds — “tens of thousands,” they claimed — chanting “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”
It’s the greatest hits from 1979. The same slogans. The same choreographed rage. The same attempt to pretend the regime has popular support.
But you don’t need to shut down the internet and threaten families if your people love you.
Trump’s Options Are on the Table
The White House is weighing responses ranging from cyberattacks to direct strikes — by the U.S. or Israel.
“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump said.
He added a warning for Tehran: “If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”
That’s not diplomatic language. That’s a threat. And based on what Trump did to Maduro, Iran has reason to take it seriously.
The Meeting Might Not Happen First
Trump acknowledged a meeting is “being set up” but added a crucial caveat.
“We may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting.”
The death toll keeps rising. The crackdown continues. Every day the regime kills more protesters is another day Trump’s patience erodes.
Iran may want to negotiate. But if they keep slaughtering their own people while the talks are being arranged, they might find American missiles arriving before American diplomats.
Streets Empty at Sunset
A witness in Tehran described the capital’s atmosphere to the Associated Press.
The streets empty at sunset prayers. By nighttime prayers, they’re completely deserted.
Part of that is the curfew. Part of it is fear. People don’t want to be caught in the crackdown.
But every night, somehow, protesters still gather. They still march. They still chant against the regime.
That takes extraordinary courage. And it’s happening despite the internet blackout, despite the threats, despite 544 of their countrymen already dead.
What Happens Next
Iran is at a crossroads.
The regime can negotiate — giving up its nuclear program and missiles in exchange for sanctions relief and survival.
Or it can keep killing protesters and hope the world loses interest.
Trump has made clear he won’t lose interest. The strike options are ready. The threats are credible. The only question is whether Iran’s leaders are rational enough to recognize their position.
Forty-five years of “Death to America” might finally meet an American president willing to respond in kind.
The mullahs wanted to negotiate. They better hope it’s not already too late.