Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed that the communication channel between Iran's Foreign Minister and the US president's special representative remains open, with messages exchanged when necessary, Iranian state media reported on January 11.

The spokesman's comments come as several hundred protestors have been killed in clashes with police and security forces across the Islamic Republic in recent days, with no exact figure on the number of dead despite graphic videos being leaked out from morgues of bodies piled up. 

"Yes, I have previously stated that the communication channel between our foreign minister and the US president's special representative remains open, and whenever necessary, required messages are exchanged through that channel," the spokesman said. He added that the US interests section office at the Swiss embassy in Tehran serves as the official channel.

The spokesman said the US side "raised certain matters, and ideas have been put forward by the other side," but criticised contradictory public statements from US President Donald Trump.

"These contradictory messages only demonstrate a lack of seriousness, demonstrate a lack of good faith, and certainly are not helpful whatsoever," he said when asked about Trump's simultaneous offers to negotiate and threats of military action.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran is fundamentally a country that has never abandoned the negotiating table," the spokesman said. "However, negotiations that are meaningful, negotiations that acknowledge mutual interests and concerns, not negotiations that are one-sided, unilateral and based on dictation."

Trump claimed on January 11 that Iran's leadership had reached out to him and proposed negotiations. "A meeting is being set up. They want to negotiate," Trump said, whilst adding that "we may have to act before a meeting."

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi claimed the protests have "come under total control" after violence spiked over the weekend, according to comments carried by IRNA. Araqchi said the protests "turned violent and bloody to give an excuse" for Trump to intervene.

He said the demonstrations, which spread to almost all provinces and dozens of cities, were "stoked and fuelled" by foreign elements and vowed that security forces will "hunt down" those responsible.

Tehran has ordered counter-rallies to regain the initiative, with President Masoud Pezeshkian calling on January 11 for loyalist citizens to take to the streets to oppose the unrest. Iran has also warned the US not to attack and vowed to retaliate if it does.

The protests that began on December 28 following the rial's collapse have continued despite a near-total internet blackout imposed on January 8.