Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the commencement of nuclear talks with the United States, local media said Monday, after US leader Donald Trump said he was hopeful of a settlement to avert military action against the Islamic republic.
Following the Iranian authorities’ fatal response to anti-government protests that peaked last month, Trump has threatened military action and ordered the mobilization of an aircraft carrier group to the Middle East.
While putting pressure on Iran, Trump has said he is hopeful of achieving a deal and Tehran has likewise insisted it wants diplomacy while pledging an unfettered response to any aggression.
According to an unnamed government source cited by the news outlet Fars on Monday, “President Pezeshkian has ordered the opening of talks with the United States.”
“Iran and the United States will hold talks on the nuclear file,” Fars said, without giving a date. The regime newspaper Iran and the reformist daily Shargh both published the report.
Iran said earlier Monday it was working on a technique and structure for conversations that would be ready in the coming days, with signals between the two parties relayed through regional players.
Esmaeil Baqaei, a spokesman for the foreign ministry, stated, “Several points have been addressed and we are examining and finalizing the details of each stage in the diplomatic process, which we hope to conclude in the coming days,” without providing specifics about the nature of any discussions.
Trump has cautioned that “time is running out” for Iran to come to an agreement on its nuclear program, which the West thinks is intended to produce an atomic weapon.
But Baqaei said Tehran “never accepts ultimatums” and that he could not confirm any such message was received.
To ease tensions, regional players have advocated for diplomacy.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Telegram that he was in Turkey last week and made more contacts with his counterparts in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.
“We completely concur with President Trump’s statement that there are no nuclear weapons. We wholeheartedly concur. That may be a very excellent deal,” Araghchi told CNN on Sunday.
Naturally, we anticipate the easing of sanctions in exchange. So, that transaction is doable. Let’s avoid discussing impossibly difficult topics.
Baqaei said the rallying of neighbouring states around a diplomatic solution demonstrated a fear any US attack would drag the region into conflict, echoing Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who warned on Sunday a US attack would trigger a “regional war”.
Ambassadors were called in.
The supreme leader also likened the recent protests to a “coup” attempt.
Authorities have maintained the protests, which were triggered by economic distress and escalated in size and intensity over several days in early January, were “riots” stoked by its arch adversaries the United States and Israel.
Thousands of people have died during the protests, according to Tehran, and on Sunday the presidency released the names of 2,986 of the 3,117 persons who were reportedly murdered in the chaos.
Authorities insist majority were members of the security forces and innocent onlookers, blaming the violence to “terrorist acts”.
Human Rights Activists News Agency, based in the US, reported that it has verified 6,842 deaths, the most of which were protestors slain by security forces. However, human rights organizations caution that the actual number is probably far higher.
The crackdown prompted the European Union to label the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organisation, with Iranian parliament retaliating on Sunday by putting the same name on European troops.
Baqaei said Monday the foreign ministry has summoned all the EU member state ambassadors in Tehran over the designation, and that other replies were to come.
Additionally, four foreigners were detained in Tehran for “participation in riots,” according to Iranian state media, which did not identify their nationalities.
Rights organizations estimate that at least 40,000 people have been arrested as a result of the protests, and authorities have continued to announce arrests.
