US President Donald Trump has said Iran’s leadership is seeking negotiations, following weeks of unrest and reports that hundreds of protesters have been killed during a sweeping government crackdown.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump claimed Iranian officials had reached out to him. “The leaders of Iran called yesterday,” he said, adding that a meeting was being arranged. However, he warned that the United States “may have to act before a meeting” if violence continues.

Iran has been rocked by nationwide protests for more than two weeks. What began as demonstrations over rising living costs has escalated into a broader challenge to the country’s ruling system established after the 1979 revolution.

Despite a prolonged internet shutdown, information has continued to emerge. Rights organisations say security forces have responded with extreme force. The US-based Center for Human Rights in Iran said eyewitness accounts indicate that hundreds of protesters may have been killed during the blackout.

Norway-based Iran Human Rights confirmed at least 192 deaths, warning that the real toll could be far higher. The group said unverified reports suggest several hundred — and possibly more than 2,000 — fatalities, while estimating more than 2,600 arrests nationwide.

An AFP journalist in Tehran described widespread disruption, with shops closing early, heavy security deployments across the city, and sharp increases in food prices since the unrest began.

Iranian state media has shown images of damaged buildings and funerals for security personnel, while officials insist the protests are declining. Tehran Governor Mohammad-Sadegh Motamedian said demonstrations were decreasing, a claim disputed by activists.

The unrest represents one of the most serious challenges to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in years, coming months after heightened regional tensions involving Israel and the United States.

Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that any US military action would prompt retaliation, describing American forces and shipping as potential targets.

Meanwhile, Reza Pahlavi, the US-based son of Iran’s former shah, said he was ready to return to Iran to help lead a democratic transition. He urged security forces to side with protesters and called on Iranians abroad to continue demonstrations in support of the movement.