Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday he has instructed his foreign minister to pursue “fair and equitable negotiations” with the United States to negotiate a new nuclear agreement to replace the deal President Donald Trump abandoned. Pezeshkian qualified the instruction: talks should take place in a “suitable environment” free of threats and unrealistic demands, and should be guided by dignity, prudence and expediency. He said the move responded to requests from friendly regional governments.
Pezeshkian made no mention of the widespread domestic unrest or the government’s forceful response to protests that have dominated recent weeks. Nevertheless, regional and Western officials — including Turkey and several Arab states — have been urging Tehran to return to diplomatic talks amid the turmoil; Turkish officials have suggested they might host negotiations.
U.S. messaging has been mixed. President Trump warned that with U.S. warships moving toward the region, “bad things” could happen if no deal were reached, while at other moments encouraging talks and expressing support for protesters inside Iran. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that talks were scheduled for later in the week, a claim that echoed off-the-record indications from Turkish and Arab sources, though exact timing and venue were not confirmed.
Tensions at sea rose the same day. U.S. Central Command reported it shot down an Iranian Shahed 139 drone as it approached the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln operating off Iran; an F-35C from the carrier reportedly downed the drone in self-defense to protect the ship and its crew. CENTCOM said the carrier was roughly 800 kilometers (about 500 miles) off Iran’s southern coast. Later, CENTCOM and maritime agencies said the U.S.-flagged merchant vessel Stena Imperative was harassed, with two fast boats and drones approaching at high speed and threatening to board or seize the tanker.
Diplomatic strains have been sharpened by recent EU and Iranian actions. The European Union last week designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, citing in part the IRGC’s role in suppressing protests. Tehran responded angrily by labeling certain European military forces as terrorist groups. Inside Iran, communications remain restricted and journalists are largely barred from reporting; independent accounts say unrest continues unevenly in several areas amid a heavy security presence.
It remains unclear whether the conditions Pezeshkian outlined can be met soon or whether geopolitical and domestic pressures will derail negotiations. Regional mediators appear intent on pressing both sides toward dialogue, but military incidents and reciprocal diplomatic escalations complicate prospects for a quick resumption of formal talks.
