Trump says Iran wants to negotiate; protests death toll reaches 646

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The death toll from Iran’s nationwide protests has reached at least 646 people killed, activists said Tuesday, with the number expected to rise further.

The toll comes from the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate throughout multiple years of demonstrations. It relies on a network of activists inside Iran that confirms all reported fatalities.

With communications blocked in Iran, the AP has been unable to independently confirm the group’s toll. Iran’s government has not provided casualty figures for the demonstrations.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its crackdown on protesters in nationwide demonstrations that activists said Monday had left at least 599 people dead.

Iran had no direct reaction to Trump’s comments, 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 prom...