KANANASKIS, Alberta (AP) — Leaders arrived Monday for the start of a three-day Group of Seven summit hosted by Canada in its Rocky Mountains. Countries belonging to the G7 forum also include France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Other nations' leaders are attending as guests.
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South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, back right, and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, back left, stand behind Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, front left, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during the family photo during the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, 2nd right, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, 3rd right, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, 4th right, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, 5th right, and French President Emmanuel Macron, left, attend a meeting during the G7 Leaders' Summit in Kananaskis, in Alberta, Canada, Tuesday June 17, 2025. (Suzanne Plunkett/Pool Photo via AP)
From left, European Council President Antonio Costa, Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, France's President Emmanuel Macron, Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, President Donald Trump, Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pose for a group photo at the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
From left, European Council President Antonio Costa, Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, France's President Emmanuel Macron, Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, President Donald Trump, Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pose for a group photo at the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, centre, is greeted by Steven Crowchild, second left, of the Tsuut'ina First Nation, as he arrives in Calgary, Alberta, Sunday, June 15, 2025, to attend the G7 Leaders meeting taking place in Kananaskis. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, from left, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, France's President Emmanuel Macron, Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, President Donald Trump, Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and in foreground left, European Council President Antonio Costa and foreground right, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, participate in a session of the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, back centre, chairs a meeting with world leaders and invited guests during the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, back right, and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, back left, stand behind Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, front left, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during the family photo during the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, left, presents Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney a soccer ball with beaded Huichol art on it before a meeting at the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi listens before a meeting with Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney at the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomes Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomes Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer attend a bilateral meeting during the G7 Leaders' Summit in Kananaskis, Canada, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Suzanne Plunkett/Pool Photo via AP)
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, 2nd right, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, 3rd right, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, 4th right, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, 5th right, and French President Emmanuel Macron, left, attend a meeting during the G7 Leaders' Summit in Kananaskis, in Alberta, Canada, Tuesday June 17, 2025. (Suzanne Plunkett/Pool Photo via AP)
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney walks with President Donald Trump after a group photo at the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
The Marine One helicopter comes into land near Air Force One to leave Calgary, Alta., Monday, June 16, 2025, after attending the G7 Leaders meeting taking place in Kananaskis, Alberta. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arrives in Calgary, Alberta, Monday, June 16, 2025, to attend the G7 Leaders meeting taking place in Kananaskis, Alberta. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
French President Emmanuel Macron looks on as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, center, gestures in front of U.S. President Donald Trump during the family photograph during the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Monday, June 16, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is swarmed by supporters after arriving in Calgary, Alberta, Monday, June 16, 2025, to attend the G7 Leaders meeting taking place in Kananaskis, Alberta. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
Canadian and Indian flags fly from the cockpit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plane as he arrives in Calgary, Alberta, Monday, June 16, 2025, to attend the G7 Leaders meeting taking place in Kananaskis. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomes NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte to the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, second left, and U.S. President Donald Trump speak to the media at the G7 summit, in Kananaskis, Alberta, Monday, June 16, 2025. (Suzanne Plunkett/Pool Photo via AP)
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, left, President Donald Trump and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, arrive for a group photo at the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and France's President Emmanuel Macron listen as President Donald Trump answers questions during a group photo at the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
From left, European Council President Antonio Costa, Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, France's President Emmanuel Macron, Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, President Donald Trump, Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pose for a group photo at the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
From left, European Council President Antonio Costa, Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, France's President Emmanuel Macron, Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, President Donald Trump, Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pose for a group photo at the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
President Donald Trump walks with Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney after a group photo at the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada, as Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni follows. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
France's President Emmanuel Macron, Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, President Donald Trump and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, arrive for a group photo at the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
President Donald Trump drops papers as he meets with Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the sidelines of the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
President Donald Trump wears a Canada and U.S. flag pin, as meets with Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the sidelines of the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Well-wishers wave to the airplane carrying South Korean President Lee Jae-myung as he departs for Canada to attend the G7 summit, at the Seoul airport in Seongnam, South Korea, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Photographers take photos during a working session at the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, Monday, June 16, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
President Donald Trump wears a pin with the flags of Canada and the United States as he participates in a session of the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni arrives during the official welcome of the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, back right, directs President Donald Trump off stage after officially welcoming him to the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, Monday, June 16, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Well-wishers wave to the airplane carrying South Korean President Lee Jae-myung as he departs for Canada to attend the G7 summit, at the Seoul airport in Seongnam, South Korea, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, right, meets with President of the Republic of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa, left, as the G7 gets under way in Calgary, Alberta, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)
Bearspaw First Nation Chief Darcy Dixon adjusts his headdress as he waits for Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, at Calgary International Airport, before the start of the G7 summit, in Calgary, Alberta, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (Suzanne Plunkett/Pool Photo via AP)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, centre, is greeted by Steven Crowchild, second left, of the Tsuut'ina First Nation, as he arrives in Calgary, Alberta, Sunday, June 15, 2025, to attend the G7 Leaders meeting taking place in Kananaskis. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
RCMP Mounties wait in front of Air Force One as President Donald Trump arrives in Calgary, Alberta, Sunday, June 15, 2025, to attend the G7 Leaders meeting taking place in Kananaskis, Alberta. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks to the media at the G7 summit, in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, Monday, June 16, 2025. (Suzanne Plunkett/Pool Photo via AP)
French President Emmanuel Macron arrives in Calgary, Alberta, Sunday, June 15, 2025, to attend the G7 Leaders meeting taking place in the nearby community of Kananaskis. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, centre, and his wife Yoshiko Ishiba are greeted as they arrive in Calgary, Alberta, Sunday, June 15, 2025, to attend the G7 Leaders meeting taking place in the nearby community of Kananaskis. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
Signage for the G7 Summit is pictured before the official welcome, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)
Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, from left, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, France's President Emmanuel Macron, Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, President Donald Trump, Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and in foreground left, European Council President Antonio Costa and foreground right, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, participate in a session of the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, back centre, chairs a meeting with world leaders and invited guests during the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, back right, and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, back left, stand behind Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, front left, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during the family photo during the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, left, presents Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney a soccer ball with beaded Huichol art on it before a meeting at the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi listens before a meeting with Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney at the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomes Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomes Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer attend a bilateral meeting during the G7 Leaders' Summit in Kananaskis, Canada, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Suzanne Plunkett/Pool Photo via AP)
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, 2nd right, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, 3rd right, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, 4th right, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, 5th right, and French President Emmanuel Macron, left, attend a meeting during the G7 Leaders' Summit in Kananaskis, in Alberta, Canada, Tuesday June 17, 2025. (Suzanne Plunkett/Pool Photo via AP)
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney walks with President Donald Trump after a group photo at the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
The Marine One helicopter comes into land near Air Force One to leave Calgary, Alta., Monday, June 16, 2025, after attending the G7 Leaders meeting taking place in Kananaskis, Alberta. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arrives in Calgary, Alberta, Monday, June 16, 2025, to attend the G7 Leaders meeting taking place in Kananaskis, Alberta. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
French President Emmanuel Macron looks on as Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, center, gestures in front of U.S. President Donald Trump during the family photograph during the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Monday, June 16, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is swarmed by supporters after arriving in Calgary, Alberta, Monday, June 16, 2025, to attend the G7 Leaders meeting taking place in Kananaskis, Alberta. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
Canadian and Indian flags fly from the cockpit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plane as he arrives in Calgary, Alberta, Monday, June 16, 2025, to attend the G7 Leaders meeting taking place in Kananaskis. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney welcomes NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte to the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, second left, and U.S. President Donald Trump speak to the media at the G7 summit, in Kananaskis, Alberta, Monday, June 16, 2025. (Suzanne Plunkett/Pool Photo via AP)
Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, left, President Donald Trump and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, arrive for a group photo at the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and France's President Emmanuel Macron listen as President Donald Trump answers questions during a group photo at the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
From left, European Council President Antonio Costa, Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, France's President Emmanuel Macron, Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, President Donald Trump, Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pose for a group photo at the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
From left, European Council President Antonio Costa, Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, France's President Emmanuel Macron, Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, President Donald Trump, Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pose for a group photo at the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
President Donald Trump walks with Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney after a group photo at the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada, as Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni follows. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
France's President Emmanuel Macron, Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, President Donald Trump and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, arrive for a group photo at the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
President Donald Trump drops papers as he meets with Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the sidelines of the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
President Donald Trump wears a Canada and U.S. flag pin, as meets with Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the sidelines of the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Well-wishers wave to the airplane carrying South Korean President Lee Jae-myung as he departs for Canada to attend the G7 summit, at the Seoul airport in Seongnam, South Korea, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Photographers take photos during a working session at the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, Monday, June 16, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
President Donald Trump wears a pin with the flags of Canada and the United States as he participates in a session of the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni arrives during the official welcome of the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, back right, directs President Donald Trump off stage after officially welcoming him to the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, Monday, June 16, 2025. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Well-wishers wave to the airplane carrying South Korean President Lee Jae-myung as he departs for Canada to attend the G7 summit, at the Seoul airport in Seongnam, South Korea, Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, right, meets with President of the Republic of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa, left, as the G7 gets under way in Calgary, Alberta, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)
Bearspaw First Nation Chief Darcy Dixon adjusts his headdress as he waits for Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, at Calgary International Airport, before the start of the G7 summit, in Calgary, Alberta, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (Suzanne Plunkett/Pool Photo via AP)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, centre, is greeted by Steven Crowchild, second left, of the Tsuut'ina First Nation, as he arrives in Calgary, Alberta, Sunday, June 15, 2025, to attend the G7 Leaders meeting taking place in Kananaskis. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
RCMP Mounties wait in front of Air Force One as President Donald Trump arrives in Calgary, Alberta, Sunday, June 15, 2025, to attend the G7 Leaders meeting taking place in Kananaskis, Alberta. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks to the media at the G7 summit, in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, Monday, June 16, 2025. (Suzanne Plunkett/Pool Photo via AP)
French President Emmanuel Macron arrives in Calgary, Alberta, Sunday, June 15, 2025, to attend the G7 Leaders meeting taking place in the nearby community of Kananaskis. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, centre, and his wife Yoshiko Ishiba are greeted as they arrive in Calgary, Alberta, Sunday, June 15, 2025, to attend the G7 Leaders meeting taking place in the nearby community of Kananaskis. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)
Signage for the G7 Summit is pictured before the official welcome, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
U.S. President Donald Trump arrives at the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)
Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, from left, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, France's President Emmanuel Macron, Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, President Donald Trump, Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and in foreground left, European Council President Antonio Costa and foreground right, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, participate in a session of the G7 Summit, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its bloody crackdown on protesters, a move coming as activists said Monday the death toll in the nationwide demonstrations rose to at least 544.
Iran had no immediate reaction to the news, which came after the foreign minister of Oman — long an interlocutor between Washington and Tehran — traveled to Iran this weekend. It also remains unclear just what Iran could promise, particularly as Trump has set strict demands over its nuclear program and its ballistic missile arsenal, which Tehran insists is crucial for its national defense.
Meanwhile Monday, Iran called for pro-government demonstrators to head to the streets in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”
Trump and his national security team have been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran including cyberattacks and direct strikes by the U.S. or Israel, according to two people familiar with internal White House discussions who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night. Asked about Iran’s threats of retaliation, he said: “If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”
Trump said that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports of the death toll in Iran mount and the government continues to arrest protesters.
“I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump said. “Iran wants to negotiate.”
He added: “The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate.”
Iran through country's parliamentary speaker warned Sunday that the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.
More than 10,600 people also have been detained over the two weeks of protests, said the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in previous unrest in recent years and gave the death toll. It relies on supporters in Iran crosschecking information. It said 496 of the dead were protesters and 48 were with security forces.
With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.
Those abroad fear the information blackout is emboldening hard-liners within Iran’s security services to launch a bloody crackdown. Protesters flooded the streets in the country’s capital and its second-largest city on Saturday night into Sunday morning. Online videos purported to show more demonstrations Sunday night into Monday, with a Tehran official acknowledging them in state media.
In Tehran, a witness told the AP that the streets of the capital empty at the sunset call to prayers each night. By the Isha, or nighttime prayer, the streets are deserted.
Part of that stems from the fear of getting caught in the crackdown. Police sent the public a text message that warned: “Given the presence of terrorist groups and armed individuals in some gatherings last night and their plans to cause death, and the firm decision to not tolerate any appeasement and to deal decisively with the rioters, families are strongly advised to take care of their youth and teenagers.”
Another text, which claimed to come from the intelligence arm of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, also directly warned people not to take part in demonstrations.
“Dear parents, in view of the enemy’s plan to increase the level of naked violence and the decision to kill people, ... refrain from being on the streets and gathering in places involved in violence, and inform your children about the consequences of cooperating with terrorist mercenaries, which is an example of treason against the country,” the text warned.
The witness spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing crackdown.
The demonstrations began Dec. 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, which trades at over 1.4 million to $1, as the country’s economy is squeezed by international sanctions in part levied over its nuclear program. The protests intensified and grew into calls directly challenging Iran’s theocracy.
Nikhinson reported from aboard Air Force One.
In this frame grab from video obtained by the AP outside Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran's Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, January. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)
In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran shows protesters taking to the streets despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.(UGC via AP)
In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran showed protesters once again taking to the streets of Tehran despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Saturday Jan. 10, 2026. (UGC via AP)