US President Donald Trump on Sunday (February 1, 2026) said he was hopeful of agreeing a deal with Iran after the country’s supreme leader warned. Any US attack on the Islamic Republic would trigger a regional war.
After a deadly response by Iranian authorities to anti-government protests that peaked last month, Mr Trump has threatened military action and ordered an aircraft carrier group to be sent to the Middle East.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday (Feb 1) likened the recent protests to a “coup”, warning that a US attack could trigger a wider conflict.
“The Americans should know that if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war,” he said, telling Iranians they “shouldn’t be afraid” of Mr Trump’s rhetoric.
“They are [rioters] “They attacked the police, government centers, IRGC centers, banks and mosques and burned the Koran … it was like a coup,” Mr. Khamenei said, adding that “the coup was crushed.”
Asked about the Iranian leader’s warning, Mr Trump told reporters on Sunday (February 1): “Of course he’s going to say that.”
“Hopefully we’ll make a deal. If we don’t make a deal, we’ll find out whether they’re right or not,” he said.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday (Feb 1, 2026) that recent anti-government protests that have seen killings and vandalism resemble a “coup”.https://t.co/5ZS6u9efWy
– The Hindu (@the_hindu) February 1, 2026
The demonstrations in Iran began as an expression of discontent over the high cost of living, but grew into a mass anti-government movement that the country’s leaders described as “riots” fueled by the United States and Israel.
Iranian authorities ordered the release of detained 26-year-old protester Erfan Soltani on bail on Sunday (Feb 1), after Washington warned he faced the death penalty and threatened to attack if any anti-government demonstrators were executed.
He was arrested in January by Iran’s judiciary on charges of propaganda against Iran’s Islamic system and acting against national security.
He has not been sentenced to death and Washington has warned that he will be hanged, although Tehran has said the charges against him do not carry the death penalty.
As tensions rise between Iran and the United States, Tehran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Sunday (Feb 1) expressed concern about “miscalculations” but said he believed Mr Trump was “smart enough to make the right decision”.
He said Iran had lost faith in the United States as a negotiating partner, adding that some countries in the region were acting as mediators to rebuild trust.
“So I see the possibility of another negotiation if the US negotiating team follows what President Trump said: to come to a fair and equitable agreement to ensure that there are no nuclear weapons,” he said in an interview. CNN.
‘Terrorist’ designations
Tehran has acknowledged thousands of deaths during the protests and on Sunday (February 1) the president published a list of 2,986 names out of 3,117 that officials said had been killed in the unrest.
A total of 131 are yet to be identified but their details will be released soon, it said in a statement.
Officials insist most were members of the security forces and innocent bystanders, accusing the violence of being “acts of terrorism”.
However, based in the US Human Rights Activists News Agency It confirmed 6,842 deaths, mostly protesters.
The response prompted the European Union to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, with Iranian lawmakers retaliating Sunday by slapping the same designation on European armies.
Lawmakers wore the guards’ green uniforms in a show of solidarity during the legislative session, where they chanted “Death to America”, “Death to Israel” and “Shame on you, Europe”, state television footage showed.
It is not clear what immediate impact the decision will have.
This level corresponds to similar classifications implemented by the United States, Canada and Australia.
Threats and conversation
Firouze, a 43-year-old housewife who declined to give her full name, said the recent tensions had made her “very worried and scared”.
“Lately, I watch news till I fall asleep. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night to check updates,” he said.
by More “The enemy The news agency said it tried to create a “war atmosphere”.
But Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said on Saturday (January 31): “Contrary to media war propaganda, constructive arrangements for talks are progressing.”
Mr Trump confirmed talks were under way, but did not retract his earlier threats, adding “we’ll see what happens”.
The US president previously believed that Iran would reach a deal on its nuclear and missile programs rather than face military action.
Meanwhile, Tehran has said it is ready for nuclear talks if its missile and defense capabilities are not on the agenda.
