Tehran, Iran – Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has announced that he has instructed diplomats to pursue negotiations with the United States, signalling a possible easing of tensions after weeks of heightened military rhetoric and manoeuvres in the region.
Writing on social media on Tuesday, Pezeshkian said he had directed Iran’s foreign minister to seek talks aimed at resolving disputes with Washington.
“I have instructed my Minister of Foreign Affairs, provided that a suitable environment exists – one free from threats and unreasonable expectations – to pursue fair and equitable negotiations, guided by the principles of dignity, prudence, and expediency,” Pezeshkian wrote.
The announcement comes amid reports that Iran is prepared to participate in talks being facilitated by regional mediators, including Turkiye, Qatar, Egypt and Oman, following rising tensions triggered by repeated threats from US President Donald Trump and the deployment of American warships to the Middle East.
Iran’s foreign ministry said on Monday that Tehran was reviewing several diplomatic initiatives proposed by countries in the region and expected a framework for talks to emerge in the coming days.
Media reports later suggested that talks could take place in Istanbul on Friday, involving US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, though neither Tehran nor Washington has officially confirmed the meeting.
Qatar’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday that diplomacy with Iran was “continuing very intensively”, in “tandem with all our neighbours”.
Backchannel contacts between the two sides have been ongoing. On Sunday, Trump said the United States was talking with Iran, and the following day Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed that indirect negotiations were under way.
“Countries of the region are acting as mediators in the exchange of messages,” Baghaei said. “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.”
Iranian state media reported that Araghchi has held calls with his counterparts in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkiye to discuss the latest developments. The Fars news agency later quoted an unnamed source as saying Pezeshkian had ordered the resumption of talks on Iran’s nuclear programme.
“Iran and the United States will hold talks on the nuclear file,” Fars reported, without giving a timeline.
The renewed diplomatic push follows months of escalating tensions. In January, Trump ordered warships to the region and warned Iran amid mass protests that rocked the country. However, he has since called for Tehran to strike a deal to resume nuclear talks, which collapsed last year after Israeli and US strikes on Iran.
On Sunday, Trump said Iran was “seriously talking” with the US, but added, “We have very big, powerful ships heading in that direction.”
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has warned that any attack on the country would lead to a “regional war”.
