Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the opening of nuclear negotiations with the United States (US), Iranian media reported, as US President Donald Trump warned that “bad things” would happen if no agreement is reached with Tehran.
Read More: Iran orders US nuclear talks amid Trump hopes
According to the Fars news agency, Pezeshkian issued instructions to begin talks on Iran’s nuclear programme, citing a government source. The report was also carried by the state-run daily Iran and the reformist newspaper Shargh. The development follows weeks of heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran, including US threats of military action and the deployment of an aircraft carrier group to the Middle East.
“We have ships heading to Iran right now, big ones … and we have talks going on with Iran. We’ll see how it all works out.” — President Trump pic.twitter.com/7IshgqGx80
— Department of State (@StateDept) February 2, 2026
Trump has said he remains hopeful of reaching an agreement but warned on Monday that time was running out. Tehran, meanwhile, has insisted it favours diplomacy while pledging a strong response to any aggression.
An Arab official told AFP that a meeting could take place in Turkey on Friday following mediation efforts by Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and Oman. US outlet Axios also reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to meet US envoy Steve Witkoff in Istanbul to discuss a potential nuclear deal.
In an interview with CNN, Araghchi said Iran fully agreed with Trump’s position that Tehran should not acquire nuclear weapons, adding that sanctions relief would be expected in return. Iran has repeatedly denied Western accusations that its nuclear programme is aimed at developing atomic weapons.
The diplomatic push comes amid domestic unrest in Iran after anti-government protests linked to economic hardship. Authorities have acknowledged nearly 3,000 deaths during the unrest, though they say most were security personnel or bystanders and blame the violence on foreign-backed “riots”.
Read More: Trump warns Iran over nuclear deal deadline
The protests have prompted fresh sanctions from the European Union and Britain, while Iran has retaliated with diplomatic measures, including summoning EU ambassadors. Despite the tensions, Tehran has signalled readiness to pursue negotiations in the coming days.