Iran says Turkey could host US talks in coming days, expects results soon

The closed-door meeting was held to brief senior government officials and local governors on the brutal crackdown on protesters, the source told Iran International.

The senior official said security forces were given “full authority and a blank check to attack, with the aim of creating maximum fear to deter the resurgence of protests," the source said.

The order, he added, made no distinction between civilians and others.

The senior official speaking at the meeting was presenting assessments by security bodies that sharply contradict the government’s official figures on the killings.

While the official death toll stands at nearly 3,000, classified documents and eyewitness reports reviewed by Iran International’s editorial board show that more than 36,500 people were killed during the targeted suppression of Iran’s national uprising on the orders of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Following Khamenei’s speech on January 9, briefing sessions and internal discussions among senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders used phrases such as “victory through terror” and “fight them until there is no more sedition," according to sources familiar with the discussions.

The same language later appeared on Telegram channels linked to pro-government groups.

Use of foreign forces

During the closed-door meeting, the senior government official confirmed earlier reports about the use of foreign forces in suppressing the protests, saying the Revolutionary Guards, its Basij militia, as well as Quds Force-linked units trained in Chechnya, Iraq, Pakistan, and Sudan were involved.

Iran International reported earlier this month that Iranian-backed Iraqi militias had begun recruiting and deploying fighters to assist Iranian forces in cracking down on protests.

That report said hundreds of Shiite militiamen from groups including Kataib Hezbollah, Harakat al-Nujaba, Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada and the Badr Organization had been sent into Iran through multiple border crossings.

The fighters were transferred under the guise of pilgrimage trips and gathered at a base in Ahvaz before being dispatched to various regions, Iran International reported.

The protests began in Tehran and several other cities in late December, initially driven by public anger over the sharp fall in Iran’s national currency, soaring inflation and worsening economic conditions.

A series of messages circulated in Afghan migrant WhatsApp and Telegram groups during the early days of the protests, urging migrants not to participate, a source told Afghanistan International.

The messages warned that sharing photos or videos could have serious consequences, reflecting widespread fear of arrest, deportation or forced expulsion.

An Afghan migrant living in Mashhad told Afghanistan International that many Afghans in Iran deliberately avoid political activity because of their precarious legal status, particularly protesting the government.

He added that some migrants joined the demonstrations nonetheless due to severe economic hardship.

Sources also said that amid an increase in security checkpoints, some Afghan migrants began using images of senior Islamic Republic figures as phone wallpapers, fearing inspections of their mobile phones by security forces.

Afghanistan International confirmed the identities of several Afghan nationals killed during the protests, including 16-year-old Amirhossein Moradi, who was shot in Mashhad and later died in hospital.

The human rights organization Hengaw also confirmed the deaths of three other Afghan nationals in the city. Sources say families were warned against speaking to the media before being allowed to bury their relatives.

Additional cases have been reported in Tehran, Karaj and Isfahan, including Afghan migrants and children killed by direct or indiscriminate fire, some while not participating in protests. Internet restrictions and pressure on families have made it difficult to establish accurate figures.

Afghan migrants have previously been killed during protests in Iran. During the 2022 nationwide unrest, Amnesty International reported that at least two Afghan teenagers were killed by Iranian security forces, with their families later threatened into silence.

Iran’s consul general in Herat has denied Afghan involvement in the recent protests, claiming some actors are attempting to damage relations between Iran and Afghanistan.

More than 36,500 Iranians were killed by security forces during the January 8-9 crackdown on nationwide protests, making it the deadliest two-day protest massacre in history, according to documents reviewed by Iran International's Editorial Board.

“We do not have any plan or programme to meet or discuss with any US officials,” Araghchi told a joint news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

“Negotiation cannot be dictated,” he said. “If one party is threatening and setting preconditions, that is no longer a negotiation.”

“While they are threatening us, they say they want to negotiate,” Araghchi added.

Araghchi said Iran would only consider what he described as “just, fair and equitable” talks, but said the basic framework for such negotiations had not been established.

“We need to see the preconditions and the agenda first,” he said.

He warned that Iran was prepared for escalation if attacked. “We are ready for negotiations, but we are also ready for warfare,” Araghchi said. “We are even more ready than in June last year.”

He said any direct US intervention would change the situation fundamentally and could push the conflict beyond a bilateral confrontation, with wider regional consequences.

Araghchi described his talks with Fidan in Istanbul as “good and useful,” saying they covered bilateral, regional and international issues.

Fidan said Turkey was in contact with both Tehran and Washington as tensions rise, adding that he had held talks with US special envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff.

“Yesterday I had long talks with Steve Witkoff,” Fidan said, adding that Ankara would continue contacts with the United States and other regional actors.

Turkey opposes any new conflict in the region and views continued fighting as a driver of instability, terrorism and migration, Fidan said.

Didban Iran website said branches in several banks were running out of banknotes on a daily basis, with customers arriving later in the working day sometimes unable to withdraw cash.

The report comes as inflation continues to erode purchasing power, and analysts have long said Iran’s chronic price rises have increased pressure for larger-denomination banknotes.

According to the Central Bank of Iran’s latest data, banknotes and coins held by the public rose by more than 23% in the first eight months of the current Iranian year, which began on March 21, 2025, compared with 0.8% growth over the same period a year earlier.

Iran’s largest widely circulating note is the 2,000,000-rial “Iran cheque” (about $1.22), which has steadily lost value in real terms.

The report added that the maximum daily cash withdrawal from ATMs has recently been set at 3,000,000 rials (about $1.83), a limit that has pushed more customers to visit branches in person to access larger sums.

The Central Bank has not publicly commented on the reported shortages or whether additional currency issuance is planned.

Financial woes helped spark anti-government protests late last which which were crushed with deadly force, in a bloody crackdown in which security forces killed thousands.

The political uncertainty and a threat of attack by the United States has only deepened

Several economic publications, including Donya‑ye Eghtesad, the state‑run ISNA, and Tejarat News, published guidance on Tuesday advising citizens on how to protect their assets from devaluation, how to plan purchases to minimize the impact of price hikes and when to buy essential goods amid market volatility.

Reports indicate that many people are stockpiling non‑perishable items, viewing goods as safer than cash amid relentless inflation.

Those with savings, they noted, have increasingly turn to gold in any form, seeing it as a hedge against currency devaluation and a liquid asset that can be converted into cash at any time.

At the same time, households are keeping only small amounts of cash on hand, enough to cover basic needs in the event of internet outages that could disrupt ATMs and banking services.

The outlets warned that persistent inflation was fuelling panic buying of basic necessities that was distorting normal spending habits.

Economic malaise has festered as the Iranian rial currency again hit a new low this week and the internal crackdown suggests no near resolution to deep US and international sanctions along with persistent corruption and mismanagement.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday suggested Iran would face a harsh attack if it did not accede to demands by Washington over its nuclear program and military posture.Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi responded that Tehran was ready with “fingers on the trigger.”

The Shargh newspaper wrote that foreign policy news and not economic it is not economic fundamentals were driving market behavior and fears assets would devalue further.

The Economic dailies predicted that the impact on food and essential goods prices would be sharp and unavoidable.

As Donya‑ye Eghtesad observed, Iran’s economy is effectively in a state of suspended animation, with the key to stability lying in the hands of diplomats.

This prolonged uncertainty, the paper argued, is creating chronic anxiety among the public: a volatile mix of fear, despair, and anger that increasingly blames authorities deemed responsible for managing the crisis.