US, Iran Hint at Progress in Talks amid Regional Push to De-Escalate Tensions
The US President, Donald Trump, confirmed ongoing talks with Iran to start a negotiation framework for a new nuclear deal, even as both sides trade military threats.
Similarly, a senior Iranian official said that progress had been made towards initiating negotiations, as regional powers intensify efforts to de-escalate tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Prospects for Deal
Trump said on Saturday that Iran was in talks with the US in an effort to reach a deal, adding that he believed that Iran would choose a deal over a US military action. “(Iran is) talking to us, and we’ll see if we can do something,” he told Fox News.
However, Trump kept the military option open, as the US amassed a military buildup near Iran. “Otherwise, we’ll see what happens… we have a big fleet heading out there,” he warned, adding that the Iranians “are negotiating.”
The US President did not reveal whether he had decided on Iran. He said that Tehran should negotiate a “satisfactory” deal that prevents the country from acquiring nuclear weapons. “I don’t know that they will. But they are talking to us. Seriously talking to us,” he told reporters on his way to Florida.
Trump’s Military Threats
Trump has repeatedly threatened Iran with military intervention in response to a violent crackdown on anti-government protests, which has resulted in thousands of casualties, according to right groups estimates. Most recently, he touted a “massive armada” heading toward Iran, ramping up pressure on Tehran to reach a new nuclear agreement.
In light of this, the US has increased its military presence in the region, deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group and additional warships to Middle Eastern waters and sending additional F-15 and F-35 fighter jets, along with more refueling tankers and additional Patriot and THAAD air defense systems.
Iran, in return, warned of a powerful and decisive response that targets US bases and assets in the region, as well as strikes deep inside Isarel. The Iranian army chief, Amir Hatami, warned that his forces were “at full defensive and military readiness” to respond to any US or Israeli attack.
“If the enemy makes a mistake, without a doubt it will endanger its own security, the security of the region, and the security of the (Israeli) regime,” he said, emphasizing that Iran’s nuclear technology and expertise “cannot be eliminated.”
Progress in Talks
The head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, on Saturday confirmed progress in talks aimed at launching a negotiation process.
“Contrary to the artificially manufactured media war narrative, the formation of a framework for negotiations is progressing,” he wrote on X. Larijani’s remarks came a day after he held talks with Russian President, Vladimir Putin, in Moscow, according to the Kremlin.
Meanwhile, the Iranian President, Masoud Pezeshkian, reiterated Iran’s desire to avoid war with the US. “The Islamic Republic of Iran has never sought, and in no way seeks, war and it is firmly convinced that a war would be in the interest of neither Iran, nor the US, nor the region,” he said during a call with Egypt’s President, Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.
Diplomatic Push
Regional powers have intensified diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions between the US and Iran, warning of the dangerous implications of a military confrontation in the region.
In this context, Egypt’s Al-Sisi discussed the crisis with Pezeshkian, stressing the need for bringing the US and Iran back to the negotiating table. The Egyptian President rejected military solutions, emphasizing that diplomacy is the only viable path to resolve the crisis and avoid further tension and instability in the Middle East.
Moreover, the Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, visited Tehran on Saturday and met with Larijani to discuss ongoing efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region.
Iran Explosions
In another development, two separate explosions took place in Iran on Saturday, killing five people. According to local officials and state media, an explosion took place in a residential building in the southern city of Bandar Abbas, leaving one person dead and 14 injured.
Another blast occurred in a residential building the south-western city of Ahvaz, killing four people.
As rumors circulated online about the assassination of the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, Iranian officials rushed to announce that gas leaks caused these explosions, denying links to any sabotage or attack.
