Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday he had tasked Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi with representing Tehran in nuclear negotiations with the United States, as US President Donald Trump warned of “bad things” if the sides fail to reach a deal.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency cited an unnamed government source on Monday as saying he expected talks between Iran and the United States to begin. Trump later confirmed the two countries would hold talks, telling reporters at the White House that “bad things” would happen if no agreement is reached.
On Tuesday, Pezeshkian said Iran must continue talks with the United States to secure “national interests,” provided the process avoids “threats and unreasonable expectations.”
“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 ... to pursue fair and equitable negotiations,” Pezeshkian wrote in a post on X.
The announcement of a negotiating track marks a major shift that could reduce tensions between the two countries over Iran’s nuclear program, after the United States pushed a sizable fleet into the Middle East and repeatedly hinted at delivering a powerful strike against Tehran.
In parallel with Trump’s warnings, Iran is entering the talks hoping for sanctions relief, while saying it is ready for any US military escalation and vowing a decisive response to any attack. Tehran has also stressed that talks must be limited to the nuclear file, rejecting negotiations over its missile program or its defensive capabilities.
In that context, Axios cited two sources with knowledge and a US official as saying they expect US envoy Steve Witkoff to meet Iran’s foreign minister on Friday in Istanbul.
Last week, CNN cited unnamed sources as saying the United States is insisting on three conditions for successful negotiations: a permanent halt to uranium enrichment, new limits on Iran’s ballistic missile program, and a full end to Tehran’s support for its regional allies.
According to Reuters, Iran’s leadership is increasingly concerned that a US strike could weaken its grip on power by driving already angry Iranians back into the streets, following a bloody crackdown on anti-government protests, prompting it to enter negotiations.
In recent days, tensions between Washington and Tehran have escalated amid Iranian protests that began peacefully in late December, initially focused on demands for better economic conditions. Over time, the demonstrations took on a political dimension, leading to clashes with security forces after calls emerged to overthrow the ruling system. The unrest has been deadly: the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reports more than 6,000 fatalities, while official figures place the death toll at 3,117.
In the wake of the protests, Trump threatened military action against Iran and announced that Washington would deploy a massive fleet as a precaution. The deployment went ahead, heightening regional concerns that Trump might follow through on his threat and that conflict in the Middle East could escalate further.
The US-Iran escalation marks a second wave within a few months, after Israel and Iran fought a 12-day war in June. The United States took part by launching airstrikes on Iran, saying the aim was to deter Tehran from developing its nuclear program. Iran responded to those US strikes by firing missiles at the US Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, before Trump announced the war had ended by agreement.
