President Trump claimed Thursday that Iran’s theocratic leaders “want to talk, and we’ll talk” following weeks-long demonstrations that have rocked the Islamic Republic.

Trump made the comments in passing during remarks at a ceremony at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, establishing an international Board of Peace meant to oversee the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

This past weekend, Trump publicly called for new leadership in Iran, accusing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of “the complete destruction of the country and the use of violence at levels never seen before.”

he president warned Jan. 2 the US was “locked and loaded and ready to go” if Iran began indiscriminately killing protesters who took to the streets beginning Dec. 28 in response to the country’s economic spiral.

Despite reports that tens of thousands had indeed been slaughtered in the streets by Tehran’s paramilitary forces, Trump walked back threats to strike Iran last week after the regime said it would halt plans to conduct mass executions.

Despite the apparent easing of tensions between Washington and Tehran, the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier had departed the South China Sea and entered the Indian Ocean as of Tuesday, putting it days away from moving into the Persian Gulf if ordered.

Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that Trump had asked his aides to present options for “decisive” military action against Tehran, though it is unclear whether he will actually order an attack. On Monday, the outlet reported that the US-based advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran presented the White House with a 100-page intelligence report that included a list of approximately 50 regime targets the American military could hit.

On Wednesday, Iranian state television carried statements by the Interior Ministry and the Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs, an official body providing services to families of those killed in wars, saying 3,117 people were killed in the demonstrations — with 2,427 of that figure classified as civilians and security forces.

The government statements did not elaborate on the remaining 690 official fatalities, however, Khamenei and others in his government have accused “rioters” working for or motivated by America and Israel of stirring up violence across Iran.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which relies on a network of sources inside Iran for its reporting, said the death toll early Thursday was at least 4,902, with many more feared dead. The same organization claimed that nearly 26,500 people have been arrested.

The extent of the bloodshed may become clearer as Iran emerges from an internet blackout imposed by the government on Jan. 8, ahead of the most intense state-sanctioned violence.

In an op-ed published Wednesday by the Wall Street Journal, Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi contended “the violent phase of the unrest lasted less than 72 hours” and did not address numerous videos showing security forces targeting demonstrators with live ammunition.

“Unlike the restraint Iran showed in June 2025, our powerful armed forces have no qualms about firing back with everything we have if we come under renewed attack,” Araghchi wrote, later adding: “An all-out confrontation will certainly be ferocious and drag on far, far longer than the fantasy timelines that Israel and its proxies are trying to peddle to the White House. It will certainly engulf the wider region and have an impact on ordinary people around the globe.”

With Post wires

Read more on original:

https://nypost.com/2026/01/22/us-news/trump-claims-iran-wants-to-talk-and-well-talk-as-he-rolls-out-board-of-peace/