Web Desk (MNN); Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has directed authorities to initiate nuclear negotiations with the United States, Iranian news agency Fars reported on Monday.
According to the report, the decision comes amid heightened tensions following Iran’s crackdown on anti-government protests that peaked last month, after which US President Donald Trump threatened military action and ordered the deployment of an aircraft carrier group to the Middle East.
Despite increasing pressure on Tehran, Trump has maintained that he remains hopeful of reaching a deal, while Iran has reiterated its preference for diplomacy, warning that any aggression would be met with a strong response.
“President Pezeshkian has ordered the initiation of nuclear negotiations with the United States,” Fars quoted an unnamed government source as saying. The source added that talks between Iran and the US would be held strictly within the framework of the nuclear issue, without disclosing any timeline.
The report was also published by the state-run newspaper Iran and the reformist daily Shargh.
Earlier on Monday, Iran said it was preparing a mechanism and framework for negotiations, which would be finalised in the coming days. Iranian officials said messages were being exchanged between Tehran and Washington through regional intermediaries.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said several issues had been discussed and details of each stage of the diplomatic process were being reviewed and finalised. However, he did not provide specifics on the content of the proposed talks.
Trump has warned that “time is running out” for Iran to reach an agreement on its nuclear programme, which Western countries believe is aimed at developing nuclear weapons. Baqaei rejected any ultimatums, saying Iran never accepts pressure-based demands and could not confirm receiving such a message.
Regional countries have been urging both sides to pursue diplomacy to ease tensions. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Turkiye last week and held consultations with his Egyptian, Saudi and Turkish counterparts.
In an interview with CNN, Araghchi said Iran fully agreed with Trump’s stance of no nuclear weapons. He added that a deal was possible provided sanctions were lifted in return, stressing that achievable goals should be prioritised.
Baqaei said growing regional support for diplomacy reflected fears that any US military action could plunge the region into a wider conflict, echoing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s warning that an attack would trigger a regional war.
Meanwhile, Ayatollah Khamenei likened the recent protests to an attempted coup. Iranian authorities have described the demonstrations, triggered by economic hardship and escalating rapidly in early January, as riots fuelled by the United States and Israel.
Tehran has acknowledged thousands of deaths during the unrest. On Sunday, the presidency released the names of 2,986 people out of the 3,117 it said were killed. Authorities claim most of the victims were security personnel and innocent bystanders, attributing the violence to what they described as terrorist acts.
