Tehran (TDI): Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday that he has authorized the initiation of nuclear negotiations with the United States, stressing that any dialogue would move forward strictly in line with Iran’s national interests.
In a post shared on X, Pezeshkian said the decision came after appeals from friendly regional countries urging Tehran to respond to US President Donald Trump’s proposal for talks. He said Iran’s foreign minister had been instructed to pursue discussions only if the conditions were appropriate, free from threats and unrealistic demands.
“These talks will be conducted within the framework of our national interests,” the president said.
The statement comes amid heightened regional tensions. Washington recently sent an aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East following anti-government protests in Iran that intensified last month.
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President Trump has expressed optimism about reaching an understanding with Tehran but warned earlier this week that consequences would follow if negotiations failed.
Iran, meanwhile, has maintained that it prefers diplomacy but has also warned it would respond forcefully to any act of aggression. Iranian officials have repeatedly said negotiations must remain limited to the nuclear issue, ruling out talks on missile development or defense policies.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking in an interview with CNN aired on Monday, said an agreement with Washington was achievable if the US approach remained fair.
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“If the US negotiating team sticks to President Trump’s stated goal of reaching a fair and balanced deal that ensures Iran does not pursue nuclear weapons, I believe an agreement is possible,” Araghchi said.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has previously cautioned that any US military action against Iran could trigger a wider regional conflict.
