Tehran/Washington, Feb 3 (.) Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed on Tuesday that he has ordered the launch of nuclear talks with the US, following warnings from Donald Trump that “bad things” would follow if no agreement is reached.
“In light of requests from friendly governments in the region to respond to the proposal by the President of the United States for negotiations, I have instructed my Minister of Foreign Affairs — provided that a suitable environment exists, free from threats and unreasonable expectations — to pursue fair and equitable negotiations,” Pezeshkian wrote in a post on X. He added that any talks would take place strictly “within the framework of our national interests.”
Washington has recently sent a massive naval armada close to Iranian waters, which include an aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East, a move that followed weeks of anti-government protests in Iran that peaked last month.
Trump has said he remains hopeful the two sides can “work something out,” but warned on Monday that failure to reach a deal would have serious consequences.
Tehran however has mocked the move, saying that that it would only resort to talks if the threat of a military invasion was revoked, and that it would not sit at the table under any form of coercion.
Tehran, for its part, has reiterated that while its fingers are on the trigger, it hopes to preferably work through all differences via diplomacy.
Iranian officials have consistently stressed that negotiations must remain limited to the nuclear issue, firmly rejecting any talks on Iran’s missile programme or broader defence capabilities.
Speaking in an interview with CNN broadcast on Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a nuclear agreement with Washington was achievable if the talks remain focused and fair.
“I see the possibility of another round of talks if the US negotiation team follows what President Trump himself has said — to reach a fair and equitable deal that ensures there is no nuclear weapon,” Araghchi said. “If that is the case, I am confident we can achieve a deal.”
Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei, cautioning against instigating any conflict, has said that any US military attack on the Islamic Republic would be a catalyst for triggering a wider regional war, which could have unexpected repercussions.
The priority of talks between the US and Iran this week in Istanbul is to avoid any conflict and de-escalate tensions between the two sides, noted an Iranian official.
Adding that the matter underscores dangers to the wider regional security, several stakeholder states including Gulf nations such as Saudi Arabia, Oman, the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, along with Egypt, and Pakistan will be sending their foreign ministers to Türkiye to attend the talks between US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Araghchi on Friday.
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