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3. Trump Open to Dialogue with Iran as Aftermath of Protests Comes into Focus

President Donald Trump signaled a willingness to engage in dialogue with Iran in remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Thursday, while reiterating his opposition to Iran’s nuclear program.

These comments came as Trump was speaking about the Gaza ‘Board of Peace,’ as he highlighted the U.S. strikes against uranium enrichment facilities in Iran in June 2025. 

On Wednesday, Trump threatened to unleash crippling force on Iran if Tehran carried out assassination attempts targeting him or other U.S. officials. This warning followed reports that U.S. intelligence has uncovered alleged Iranian assassination plots. 

At the same time, the fog of the Islamic Republic’s crackdowns on the Iranian protest movement begins to lift and tensions between the U.S. and Iran remain high surrounding the regime’s brutal response to the demonstrations. 

Discourse in the Trump administration suggested the possibility of military intervention in Iran on behalf of the demonstrations until Trump told the press that he stood down when the Iranian regime cancelled the mass execution of over 800 protesters.

As Iran gradually rolls back the communications blackout that it initially imposed on January 8 during the protests, the aftermath of the regime’s crackdowns begins to come into focus.

The sources investigating the severity of the death count reveal varying numbers, with estimates ranging from as low as 3,000 people to as high as over 20,000 people, and verifications and investigations are still underway. Human rights organizations identify the death toll as the fault of Iranian regime authorities utilizing live ammunition on protesters.

With details surrounding the Iranian regime’s crackdown on demonstrators beginning to become clearer, the U.S. continues to leave both diplomatic and military operations on the table amid mounting tensions with Iran.