Iran claims it has quelled protests even as unrest continues

Patrick Sykes and Arsalan Shahla, Bloomberg News on Jan 12, 2026

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Iran’s foreign minister said security forces have “full control” of the country after two weeks of violent unrest, amid reports he’s reached out to the United States following an intervention threat by President Donald Trump.

Abbas Araghchi’s claim to have asserted police authority over nationwide protests is yet to be fully tested, since the most severe demonstrations — in which hundreds are reported to have been killed — have taken place at night. During Monday daytime, state TV broadcast footage of pro-regime rallies from various cities, saying they’ve been organized to promote “national unity” and to condemn the recent “terrorist acts.”

At the same time, videos on social media appeared to show protesters’ funerals, with attendees heard shouting “death to Khamenei,” the country’s Supreme Leader. Bloomberg is unable to verify the footage.

Trump said late Sunday that Washington is mulling potential options in response to reports of deadly crackdowns on Iranian demonstrators. Tehran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said communication channels between Araghchi and Steve Witkoff, the president’s Middle East envoy, are open, according to the semi-official Tasnim news service.

Axios said the pair have discussed a potential meeting. The report, citing sources with knowledge of the matter, described the move as an effort by Iran to deescalate tensions with the U.S. “or at least buy more time before Trump orders any action to further weaken the regime.”

Protests in Iran erupted Dec. 28 after a sudden collapse in the value of the currency. They broadened into the biggest and most violent challenge to the rule of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the Islamic Republic since it was established after the 1979 revolution that ousted a pro-U.S. monarch.

More than 540 people have been killed and over 10,000 arrested, according to the Human Rights Activist News Agency, which is tracking demonstrations in 186 cities across Iran’s 31 provinces.

Oil prices have risen over concern around risks to Iranian supply. Brent traded near $63 a barrel on Monday, close to one-month highs, after jumping almost 6% over Thursday and Friday.

Araghchi repeated the government narrative that “rioters and terrorists” had killed police and civilians and destroyed public property using “Daesh-style violence,” referring to the Arabic acronym for Islamic State.

“We have many pieces of evidence which show interference by the U.S. and Israel in this terrorist war,” Araghchi said in an interview with state TV, adding “Israel is directly responsible, and also Americans through their remarks by promoting violence.”

The internet and other communications remain largely cut off, which has made it difficult to track the full scope of the movement. Araghchi said access should be restored “very soon.”

There’s still no official government death toll for civilians. Tasnim reported a breakdown of security force fatalities on Sunday, saying a total of 121 officers have died, including 30 in Isfahan, while the number for Tehran was listed as unknown.