WASHINGTON, January 12. /TASS/. Iran has contacted special representative of the American president Steve Witkoff, White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told reporters.
"There was an official from the Iranian government that reached out to member of the president's very close team, special envoy Witkoff, expressing a far different tone than what you're seeing publicly," she said.
In an interview with Fox News, Leavitt also said: "What the Iranian regime is saying publicly is quite different from the messages they are sending to the United States and the Trump administration privately." This is why she called statements by chairman of the Iranian Majlis (unicameral parliament) Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf that Tehran is ready to teach US President Donald Trump an unforgettable lesson, if he decides to attack the Islamic republic, "laughable."
Axios previously reported citing sources that Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi discussed the unrest in the Islamic republic and the possibility of a meeting over the weekend. Trump on Sunday said there could be a meeting with Iran representatives to discuss Tehran's nuclear program.
On December 29, protests by merchants began in Tehran over the devaluation of the rial. On December 30, students joined the unrest. The unrest has spread to most major cities. The authorities said 38 law enforcement officers were killed. Since January 8, according to Araghchi, armed terrorists have appeared among the demonstrators. The Iranian authorities blamed Israel and the United States for organizing the riots. Trump said earlier that he was seriously considering using force against Tehran. On January 13, he is expected to be presented with options for responding to the events in Iran, including attacking targets inside the country.