The London-based Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he had instructed Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi to prepare the ground for negotiations with the United States, after US President Donald Trump threatened dire consequences if no agreement was reached.
Pezeshkian wrote on the X platform that he had tasked the Foreign Minister with preparing for fair and equitable negotiations, provided that a suitable atmosphere was available, free from threats and unreasonable expectations, and that national interests and the principles of dignity, wisdom, and interest were respected. For his part, Iranian Vice President for Executive Affairs, Mohammad Jafar Ghaempanah, said on his X platform account that there is no such thing as a good war, and not all peace is surrender.
US military buildup in the Middle East
According to a report in Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, Washington has sent aircraft carriers to the Middle East following the Iranian authorities’ violent response to the anti-government protests that peaked last month.
US President Donald Trump had announced hours earlier that huge warships were heading towards Iran, noting that his representatives were holding talks with Iran, expressing his hope that these contacts would lead to positive results, but he warned on Monday that bad things would happen if an agreement was not reached.
All eyes are on Istanbul talks
All eyes are on Istanbul as signs emerge of a resumption of nuclear talks between the United States and Iran, after US and Iranian sources confirmed that US envoy Steve Wittkopf will meet with Araqchi in Istanbul to hold a new round of nuclear negotiations that stalled due to the 12-day war, When Israel launched an attack on Iranian military and nuclear facilities in June, the United States joined in.
