The US president says Iranian leaders have called "to negotiate", but adds the US "may have to act" before a meeting.
Watch LiveBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationHealthCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationWatch DocumentariesTechnologyScienceArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindHealthWatch DocumentariesCultureWatch DocumentariesFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsWatch DocumentariesArts in MotionTravelWatch DocumentariesDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthWatch DocumentariesNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcast CategoriesRadioAudio FAQsVideoWatch DocumentariesBBC MaestroDiscover the WorldLiveLive NewsLive SportDocumentariesHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationHealthCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesWeatherNewslettersWatch LiveTrump mulls 'very strong' military options as hundreds killed in Iran protests4 hours agoShareSaveGhoncheh Habibiazad,Sarah Namjoo,BBC PersianandHarry SekulichShareSaveWatch: Trump says US military are looking at 'very strong options' in IranPresident Donald Trump says the US military is considering "very strong options" in Iran, as anti-government protests which have reportedly killed hundreds enter a third week.
The US-based Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA) says it has verified the deaths of nearly 500 protesters and 48 security personnel in Iran, while sources tell the BBC the death toll could be much higher.
Trump has threatened to intervene, and said on Sunday that Iranian officials had called him "to negotiate" - but added "we may have to act before a meeting".
Iranian leaders have described the demonstrators as a "bunch of vandals", and called on their supporters to take part in pro-government marches on Monday.
The government has also announced three days of mourning for what it called "martyrs" killed in a "national battle against the US and Israel" - two countries that Tehran says are fomenting unrest.
Anger over the plummeting value of the Iranian currency sparked protests in late December, which have grown into a crisis of legitimacy for Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Trump has not yet elaborated on what the US is considering in terms of military options, nor on the proposed negotiations, despite saying that a "meeting is being set up" with Iranian officials.
He added that Iranian leaders "want to negotiate", because "they are tired of being beat up by the United States".
A US official told the BBC's US news partner CBS that Trump has been briefed on options for military strikes on Iran.
Other approaches could include boosting anti-government sources online, using cyber-weapons against Iran's military, or imposing more sanctions, officials told the Wall Street Journal.
Watch: Protesters and security forces clash in Iran protestsSources told the BBC that protests continued on Sunday night, but at a reduced level compared to previous days, as fears grow of a