Iran opens door to dialogue after Trump threatens ‘serious’ army motion over protests | EUROtoday
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Iran and the United States have opened the door to dialogue, even after Tehran responded to threats of army motion by Donald Trump by warning that it’s “ready for war”.
The US president mentioned Washington officers might meet with their Iranian counterparts, as he continued piling strain on the regime to name off its repressive response to the protests happening in Iran. Rights group Iran Human Rights says not less than 600 folks have been killed because the demonstrations started simply over a fortnight in the past.
A spokesperson for Tehran’s overseas ministry confirmed on Monday {that a} “communication channel between our foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and the US special envoy [Steve Witkoff] is open” and that “messages are exchanged whenever necessary”.
Mr Trump instructed reporters early on Monday that he was receiving “hourly” updates on the scenario in Iran, and that the US was “looking at some very strong options”. Iran, he mentioned, was “starting” to cross his crimson line.
Britain condemned the brutal suppression of anti-government protests by Iran, however downplayed the prospect of designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) a terrorist organisation.
Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper mentioned she had spoken to her Iranian counterpart and instructed him that “the Iranian government must immediately end the violence, uphold fundamental rights and freedoms, and ensure British nationals are safe”.
The protests started on 28 December in response to the financial scenario in Iran. In the times since, Norway-based Iran Human Rights reviews that 648 protesters have been killed, and greater than 10,000 folks have been arrested.
A complete blockade on web and phone communications has additionally been imposed all through the nation, however Mr Araghchi has claimed that the scenario is “under total control”.
During contacts between Mr Araghchi and Mr Witkoff on Monday, the US had “touched upon some cases” and introduced up “ideas”, Iranian spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei mentioned. He additionally accused the US of exhibiting a scarcity of seriousness and of giving “contradictory messages” that weren’t convincing.
Verified video footage reveals Iranians gathered on the Kahrizak Forensic Centre in Tehran on Sunday, many in tears as they stood over rows of dark-coloured physique baggage that numbered not less than within the dozens. Tehran has not supplied an official demise toll.
Many Iranians have grown more and more resentful of the highly effective Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), whose enterprise pursuits, together with oil and gasoline, development and telecommunications, are value billions of {dollars}. The protests had been sparked by hovering costs, then changed into demonstrations towards the clerical rulers who’ve ruled the nation for greater than 4 a long time.
The EU warned on Monday that it might take motion towards Iran because the variety of protesters killed throughout the nation grows. The bloc is ready to suggest a bundle of recent and extreme sanctions on Tehran if it doesn’t halt its repressive measures, a spokesperson for the EU Commission mentioned on Monday morning.
Meanwhile, the president of the European parliament, Roberta Metsola, mentioned on social media on Monday that she had banned all diplomatic workers and different representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran from European parliament premises.
“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.”
The semi-official information company Tasnim reported on Monday that British, Italian, German and French ambassadors in Tehran had been summoned to the overseas ministry, and had been requested to tell their respective governments of Tehran’s request that they withdraw their help for the protests.
Iran deems political help for the protests “an unacceptable intervention in the internal security of the country”, Tasnim added.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iran-us-dialogue-trump-protests-b2898935.html