Trump weighs response to Iran crackdown, Tehran says communication open with US

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VARIOUS, IRAN (JANUARY 12, 2026) (IRIB - No use Iran. No use BBC Persian. No use VOA Persian. No use Manoto. No use Iran International. No use Radio Farda.)

1. VARIOUS AERIALS OF PEOPLE TAKING PART IN PRO-GOVERNMENT RALLIES ACROSS IRAN, SOME WAVING IRANIAN FLAGS

2. PEOPLE WAVING IRANIAN FLAGS

3. VARIOUS AERIALS OF PEOPLE GATHERED AT RALLIES, SOME WAVING IRANIAN FLAGS

4. PEOPLE GATHERED, SOME WAVING IRANIAN FLAGS

Iranian State TV aired live footage on Monday (January 12) of large crowds attending a funeral procession of demonstrators who authorities claimed were killed during "terrorist actions led by the United States and Israel."

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ARDABIL, IRAN (JANUARY 12, 2026) (IRIB - No use Iran. No use BBC Persian. No use VOA Persian. No use Manoto. No use Iran International. No use Radio Farda.)

5. PEOPLE WALKING DURING PROTEST / CAPTION READING (Farsi): “The sacred Iranian alliance against Zionist-American terrorism” (tc: 00:49)

RASHT, IRAN (JANUARY 12, 2026) (IRIB - No use Iran. No use BBC Persian. No use VOA Persian. No use Manoto. No use Iran International. No use Radio Farda.)

6. VARIOUS OF FUNERAL PROCESSION FOR PROTESTERS KILLED / CAPTION READING (Farsi): “The sacred Iranian alliance against Zionist-American terrorism”

Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, said on Monday (January 12), Iran is 'prepared for war' but also 'ready for negotiations' as President Donald Trump weighed responses to a violent crackdown on protests that have posed one of the biggest challenges to clerical rule since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

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TEHRAN, IRAN (JANUARY 12, 2026) (ISLAMIC RADIO AND TELEVISION UNION - No use Iran, BBC Persian. No use VOA Persian. No use Manoto. No use Iran International. No Radio Farda)

7. (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) IRAN’S FOREIGN MINISTER, ABBAS ARAQCHI, SAYING: (new bite)

"We do not seek war, but we are fully prepared for it."

8. WHITE FLASH

9. (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) IRAN’S FOREIGN MINISTER, ABBAS ARAQCHI, SAYING: (new bite)

"At the same time, as I have repeatedly said, we are also ready for negotiations.”

10. WHITE FLASH

TEHRAN, IRAN (JANUARY 12, 2026) (IRIB - No use Iran, BBC Persian. No use VOA Persian. No use Manoto. No use Iran International. No Radio Farda)

11. (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) IRAN’S FOREIGN MINISTER, ABBAS ARAQCHI, SAYING:

"But what was important was that, because of his (Trump) comments, elements seeking to create chaos went after increasing the death toll, in the hope of possibly drawing the United States into intervening.”

12. WHITE FLASH

13. (SOUNDBITE) (Farsi) IRAN’S FOREIGN MINISTER, ABBAS ARAQCHI, SAYING:

"From January 10 until today, we are in the next phase, in which the situation has come under control.”

EU Commission spokesperson said on Monday (January 12), that the Union is ready to move forward with tougher sanctions on Iran as a violent crackdown on nationwide protests continued. The demonstrations began in response to soaring prices, before turning against the clerical rulers who have governed for more than 45 years.

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BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (JANUARY 12, 2026) (EUROPEAN UNION - Access All)

14. EUROPEAN COMMISSION SPOKESPERSONS PAULA PINHO AND ANOUAR EL ANOUNI STANDING IN NEWSROOM

15. (SOUNDBITE) (English) EUROPEAN COMMISSION SPOKESPERSON, ANOUAR EL ANOUNI, SAYING:

"We stand ready to propose new, more severe sanctions following the violent crackdown on protesters. This is a decision for Member States to take unanimously in the Council."

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday (January 12) condemned “in the strongest possible terms” what he called the Iranian leadership’s violence directed at its own people.

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AHMEDABAD, INDIA (JANUARY 12, 2026) (ANI - No use India)

16. GERMAN CHANCELLOR FRIEDRICH MERZ AND INDIAN PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI AT JOINT NEWS CONFERENCE

17. AUDIENCE SEATED

18. (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN CHANCELLOR, FRIEDRICH MERZ, SAYING:

"I call on the Iranian leadership to protect its people instead of threatening them. We condemn in the strongest possible terms the violence that the leadership in Tehran is directing against its own people. This violence is not a sign of strength, but rather a sign of weakness. The violence must end.”

A CCTV recording showed the interior of Abuzar Mosque in Tehran being destroyed on Thursday (January 8), a day before it was set on fire according to media reports. The footage shows individuals dressed in black damaging furniture inside the mosque, before one of them approached the surveillance camera and destroyed it with a pole.

Reuters confirmed the location as interior decorations of the mosque, including bricks, the doom structure, bookshelves and fans matched file images. The date was confirmed by the timestamp on the footage.

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TEHRAN, IRAN (JANUARY 8, 2026) (SOCIAL MEDIA - No Resales / No archive) (MUTE)

19. PEOPLE DESTROYING FURNITURE INSIDE MOSQUE / INDIVIDUAL BREAKING CCTV CAMERA WITH POLE

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday (January 11) he is weighing a range of responses to escalating unrest in Iran, including possible military options, as massive protests continue to roil the country.

Trump also said he plans to speak with billionaire Elon Musk about restoring internet in Iran, where authorities have blacked out services for four days amid ongoing anti-government protests.

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IN AIR (JANUARY 11, 2026) (U.S. NETWORK POOL - No use USA)

20.(SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, SAYING:

"There seem to be some people killed that aren't supposed to be killed. These are violent... if you call them leaders, I don't know if they're leaders, or it's just they rule through violence, but we're looking at it very seriously. The military's looking at it and we're looking at some very strong options. We'll make a determination."

21. WHITE FLASH

22. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, RESPONDING TO WHETHER HE WILL SEND STARLINK SATELLITES TO IRAN, SAYING:

"We're going to be talking about that. We may get the internet going, if that's possible. We may speak to Elon. Because as you know he's very good at that kind of thing. He's got a very good company. So we may speak to Elon Musk, and in fact I'm going to call him as soon as I'm finished with you."

23. WHITE FLASH

24. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, RESPONDING TO WHETHER IRAN IS TAKING THIS THREAT SERIOUSLY, SAYING:

"I think so. Don't you think so, CNN? Don't you think so? Wouldn't you say that they probably do at this point after going through it for years with me? Being hit, Soleimani, al-Baghdadi, the Iran nuclear threat wiped out - don't you think? And then you just had Venezuela. Don't you think? She says, CNN, (TRUMP IMPERSONATING REPORTER): "You think they take your threat seriously?" Wouldn't you say they do after all of the things we've done? What a stupid question."

25. WHITE FLASH

26. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, SAYING

"But I don't think they're trying to play. I think they just want peace. They want to have freedom. The protesters are after freedom. Iran has not allowed freedom for a long time. And the protesters, I don't think they're trying to appease me. They're trying to get somebody to help them. They're under siege. And now it looks like they're being shot, which is a very bad thing."

Eyewitness video showed a truck ploughing into a crowd gathered in Los Angeles to show support for Iranian protesters on Sunday (January 11).

KNBC news outlet reported that hundreds of people marched in Westwood, a Los Angeles suburb. It was not clear if there were any injuries.

Reuters was able to confirm the location from building design, gate in-front of building, trees, road layout and flags which matched with file imagery. Date was verified by local media reports and corroborating videos showing the same scene.

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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (JANUARY 11, 2026) (x @Shangoolans - No resale / No archive / Must on-screen courtesy X @Shangoolans) (ORIGINALLY SHOT IN PORTRAIT)

27. U-HAUL TRUCK PLOUGHING INTO A CROWD SHOWING SUPPORT FOR IRANIAN PROTESTERS IN LOS ANGELES / PROTESTERS FOLLOWING AFTER TRUCK