Iran Expresses Willingness for Talks with US
Relations have remained tense since US strikes targeted Iranian nuclear facilities last June, with friction deepening amid large-scale anti-government demonstrations that swept the country in December and January. More recently, Washington has reinforced its military presence in the Middle East, deploying an ‘armada’ centered around the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, while pressing for an agreement that would curb uranium enrichment and place limits on Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities.
Tehran continues to insist that its nuclear program serves peaceful purposes only.
Russia has consistently argued that the dispute over Iran’s nuclear activities should be addressed through diplomacy rather than force. According to reports, efforts by Moscow and Ankara have helped reduce the chances of a US military strike on Iran.
On Tuesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on X that he had directed the country’s top diplomat to “prepare the ground for fair and equitable negotiations” should conditions arise that are “free from threats and unreasonable expectations.”
Echoing this position, Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, reiterated that Iran is not pursuing nuclear weapons. In remarks to a regional television channel late Monday, he explained that any engagement with Washington would begin indirectly and would only shift to direct talks if prospects for an agreement appeared realistic.
Shamkhani also stressed that the United States “must offer something in return” should Iran agree to scale back uranium enrichment.
According to multiple reports, US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi may hold talks in Istanbul later this week, alongside officials from several Arab and Muslim nations, to explore the contours of a potential deal. If confirmed, this would mark the first senior-level contact between the two sides since April, shortly before the June attacks on Iranian nuclear and missile facilities.
Despite warnings of possible new military action, US President Donald Trump told reporters on Sunday that he hopes “we make a deal” with Iran. The United States withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, in 2018 and reinstated sanctions, leading Iran to gradually reduce its compliance and raise uranium enrichment levels to 60%.
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