Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the opening of nuclear talks with the United States, signalling a new diplomatic push even as tensions remain high over protests and Western sanctions.
State aligned Fars news agency, citing an unnamed government source, said Pezeshkian instructed officials to begin negotiations with Washington on Iran’s nuclear file, a report later echoed by government newspaper Iran and reformist daily Shargh.
The move comes after US President Donald Trump threatened military action and deployed an aircraft carrier group to the Middle East in response to Iran’s deadly crackdown on anti government protests that peaked last month. While ramping up pressure, Trump has repeatedly said he still hopes for a deal that would avert war.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran is working on a method and framework for talks, with messages between the two sides being relayed through regional intermediaries. “Several points have been addressed and we are examining and finalising the details of each stage in the diplomatic process, which we hope to conclude in the coming days,” he told reporters, without revealing the content of the proposed negotiations.
Trump has warned that “time is running out” for Iran to reach an agreement over its nuclear programme, which Western governments suspect is aimed at developing atomic weapons, a charge Tehran denies. Baqaei countered that Iran “never accepts ultimatums” and said he could not confirm that such a message had been formally received.
Regional powers including Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia have been pushing for de‑escalation. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said he held talks in Ankara and phone calls with his Egyptian, Saudi and Turkish counterparts on shaping a diplomatic path.
In a CNN interview, Araghchi said Tehran and Washington broadly agree on the principle of Iran having no nuclear weapons. “President Trump said no nuclear weapons, and we fully agree. We fully agree with that. That could be a very good deal. Of course, in return, we expect sanctions lifting,” he said, calling such an arrangement “possible” if both sides stay realistic.
The diplomatic manoeuvring is unfolding against the backdrop of Iran’s harsh response to recent protests over economic hardship and political grievances. Authorities likened the unrest to a “coup” attempt and blamed the United States and Israel for instigating “riots”.
Tehran has acknowledged 3,117 deaths in the crackdown and published the names of 2,986 of those killed, insisting most were security forces and innocent bystanders targeted in “terrorist acts”. But US based Human Rights Activists News Agency says it has verified 6,842 deaths, mostly protesters shot by security forces, while warning the true toll could be higher.
The violence prompted the European Union to list Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation. Iranian lawmakers retaliated by designating European armies as “terrorist” and the foreign ministry summoned all EU ambassadors in Tehran to protest the move, warning of further responses.
Baqaei said the way neighbouring countries have rallied around diplomacy reflects fears that any US strike on Iran could trigger a broader regional war, echoing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s warning that an American attack would spark “regional conflict”.
Iranian state television also reported the arrest of four foreigners in Tehran accused of participating in the unrest, without naming their nationalities, as rights groups estimate that at least 40,000 people have been detained over the protests.
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