Sri Lanka, Feb. 9 -- Iran arrested a prominent reformist, local media reported on Monday (Feb 9), deepening a crackdown on dissent following mass protests that posed one of the greatest challenges to the Islamic Republic since its inception.

The arrest of Javad Emam, the spokesperson for the main reformist coalition, came days after Iranian and US officials held talks in Oman that both sides painted as positive.

The United States had threatened military action against Iran during the peak of the protest movement that swept the nation earlier this year, which saw authorities launch a deadly crackdown to quell dissent.

President Donald Trump later said he believed Iran would be open to a deal, and there was no immediate indication that t...