Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday that Tehran is prepared to pursue “fair and equitable negotiations” with the United States, signalling a potential diplomatic opening as the two sides reportedly move towards high-stakes talks on Iran’s nuclear programme later this week.
In a post on X, Pezeshkian said he had instructed Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to advance negotiations “provided that a suitable environment exists — one free from threats and unreasonable expectations.” He added that any talks must be guided by the principles of “dignity, prudence and expediency”.
The remarks come amid heightened regional tensions, with US warships and aircraft massed in the Middle East as Washington weighs possible military action against Iran. Araghchi suggested that diplomatic engagement could take place imminently, even as the US continued to strengthen its military posture in the region.
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Iran was “seriously talking to us”, raising the prospect of a deal that could avert military strikes. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump confirmed that talks were underway but warned of consequences if diplomacy failed.
“We have ships heading to Iran right now, big ones — the biggest and the best — and we have talks going on with Iran,” Trump said. “If we can work something out, that would be great, and if we can’t, probably bad things would happen.”
During a visit to the shrine of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Araghchi reiterated Iran’s long-standing position that it remains open to diplomacy under conditions of mutual respect. “Iran has always been ready for this option, provided there is mutual respect and consideration of interests,” he said.
Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to arrive in the region for talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, amid reports that Witkoff and Araghchi could meet on Friday in Istanbul. Multiple media outlets have suggested that representatives from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt would also participate in the meeting, which would focus on a possible nuclear agreement.
While no official date has been confirmed for direct Iran-US talks, a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry said “several points have been addressed” and that Tehran was examining and finalising the details of each stage of the diplomatic process, expressing hope that it could be concluded in the coming days.
If confirmed, the Istanbul meeting would mark the first direct engagement between US and Iranian officials since April, shortly before Israel and later the US launched strikes on Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile facilities during a 12-day conflict in June. During that confrontation, Iran fired hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israeli cities and towns, most of which were intercepted.
In response to Iran’s violent crackdown on protests that activists say killed more than 30,000 people, the US has deployed what Trump described as a “massive armada” to the region. The deployment includes the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, guided-missile destroyers and dozens of warplanes capable of striking Iran’s leadership, military targets or nuclear infrastructure.
Trump has said he wants any new agreement to halt Iran’s production of highly enriched uranium that could be used for nuclear weapons and to curb its ballistic missile programme. Satellite imagery published last week showed that Iran had constructed new roofs over damaged buildings at the Isfahan and Natanz nuclear facilities following the June strikes by the US and Israel.
The US president has also hinted at seeking regime change in Tehran, fuelling concerns that efforts to remove Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei could trigger a wider regional war. Reuters reported on Monday that Iranian officials were increasingly concerned that even a limited US strike could reignite unrest and potentially lead to a revolution, citing six current and former Iranian officials.
Saudi and Israeli officials held talks at the Pentagon last week to discuss potential US strikes and the risk of an Iranian counterattack. Iran has warned that it would target Israel, including Tel Aviv, if attacked by the US. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel was prepared “for every scenario” and cautioned that any attack on the country would meet “unbearable consequences”.
Protests across Iran began in December following the sharp devaluation of the national currency and soaring inflation. Protesters have demanded an independent inquiry into the death toll, while the Iranian government has taken the unusual step of publishing the names of those killed. Tehran says 3,117 people, including members of the security forces, died in the unrest, a figure sharply disputed by activists who estimate the death toll exceeds 30,000.