DOHA, January 12. /TASS/. The Iranian government has a dialogue going with protesters, with President Masoud Pezeshkian even holding a meeting with their representatives, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said.

"The government has acknowledged the protests and has held talks with representatives of the protesters, the president met with them," he told the Al Jazeera television channel.

The Tasnim news agency reported earlier that Pezeshkian had taken part in a rally against the protests in Tehran. According to Iran’s state television and radio broadcaster, pro-government rallies were also held in other large cities.

On December 29, 2025, merchants began protesting in Tehran over a sharp decline in the value of the Iranian rial. On December 30, university students joined the unrest, which engulfed the majority of major cities. The protests peaked on the night of January 8, when at least 13 civilians, including a three-year-old child, were killed as a result of rioters’ actions. The authorities also announced the death of 38 law enforcement officers. Tehran labelled the rioters as terrorists and placed responsibility for the unrest on Israel and the United States.

US President Donald Trump said earlier that the United States was considering using force to quell the unrest in Iran. Variants of reacting to the developments in Iran, including potential strikes, are expected to be presented to him on January 13.