PARIS: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the start of nuclear talks with the United States, local media said on Monday (Feb 2), after US President Donald Trump said he was hopeful of a deal to avert military action against the Islamic republic.
Following the Iranian authorities’ deadly response to anti-government protests that peaked last month, Trump has threatened military action and ordered the dispatch of an aircraft carrier group to the Middle East.
While piling pressure on Iran, Trump has maintained he is hopeful of making a deal, and Tehran has also insisted it wants diplomacy while vowing an unbridled response to any aggression.
“President Pezeshkian has ordered the opening of talks with the US,” the news agency Fars reported on Monday, citing an unnamed government source.
“Iran and the US will hold talks on the nuclear file,” Fars said, without specifying a date. The report was also carried by the government newspaper Iran and the reformist daily Shargh.
Iran said earlier on Monday it was working on a method and framework for negotiations that would be ready in the coming days, with messages between the two sides relayed through regional players.
“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,” foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said, without giving details on the content of any negotiations.