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Iran ordered the start of talks with the United States over its nuclear program, under President Donald Trump‘s warning to the Islamic Republic that “bad things” will happen if they do not reach an agreement.
The meeting between the two countries could be held on February 6 in Türkiye, an Arab official told AFP on Tuesday on condition of anonymity. The event was organized “after the efforts of Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye and Oman,” he added.
“President Masud Pezeshkian has ordered the opening of talks with the United States,” published the Iranian Fars news agency, citing a government source.
The Iranian agency Tasnim had previously indicated that the talks would likely involve US emissary Steve Witkoff and the head of Iranian diplomacy, Abbas Araqchi.
Pressure on Tehran has intensified since early January, following the fierce repression of a wave of protests that shook the country, which began against the cost of living but ended up becoming a movement against the theocratic regime that has ruled Iran since the 1979 revolution.
After raising the threat of military intervention and sending a dozen ships to the Gulf, Trump stated on Sunday that he hoped to “reach an agreement” with Iran.
However, on Monday he warned that if Iran does not reach that agreement with Washington, “bad things” will happen.
«Right now we are talking to them, we are talking to Iran, and if we can find a solution it would be great. And if we can’t, bad things will probably happen,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
“The countries of the region act as mediators for the exchange of messages,” explained this Monday the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Esmail Baqai. Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye participated in the consultations.
The spokesperson, however, denied having received an ultimatum from Trump: Iran “never accepts ultimatums,” he said.
– A “regional war” –
For his part, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei warned of a “regional war” in the event of US military action.
In this sense, Jordan’s Foreign Minister assured his Iranian counterpart on Monday that he will not allow his territory or airspace to be used to launch attacks against the Islamic Republic.
The two sides held a brief round of talks in 2025, before the 12-day war unleashed in June by Israel.
Those talks stalled over the issue of uranium enrichment.
The United States demands that Iran completely renounce enrichment, something Tehran refuses, citing its right under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), to which it is a signatory.
“President Trump says ‘no to nuclear weapons’ and we totally agree with that point. (…) Of course, in return, we expect a lifting of sanctions,” Araqchi said on Sunday.
«So this agreement is possible. “We are not talking about impossible things,” he insisted.
Western countries suspect that the Islamic Republic intends to acquire atomic weapons, something that Tehran denies.
On the streets of Tehran, Ali Hamidi, a 68-year-old retiree, considers the “current tensions” “useless.”
“The United States should mind its own business,” he told AFP, adding that “the Iranian leaders are also to blame for not addressing the needs of the people.”
– Detention of foreigners –
Meanwhile, in Iran, repression continues. State television reported this Monday that four foreign citizens, whose nationality has not been specified, were detained for “participation in the riots.”
According to the US-based NGO Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), more than 42,000 people were arrested during the protests and it claims it was able to confirm 6,854 deaths, mostly protesters.
Iranian authorities acknowledge the deaths of thousands of people, but claim that the vast majority were security agents or people passing by and were killed by “terrorists.”
According to the government, the wave of protests was an operation orchestrated by the United States and Israel.
Meanwhile, the ambassadors of European countries in Tehran were summoned after the European Union (EU) decided to designate the Guardians of the Revolution as a “terrorist organization.”
The British government announced on Monday the imposition of sanctions against ten Iranian officials, including the Home Secretary.
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