Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, will travel to Ankara for talks aimed at preventing a US attack, as Turkish diplomats seek to convince Tehran it must offer concessions over its nuclear programme if it is to avert a possibly devastating conflict.
Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, proposed a video conference between Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian – the kind of high-wire diplomacy that may appeal to the US leader, but would be anathema to circumspect Iranian diplomats. No formal direct talks have been held between the two countries for a decade.
Araghchi’s visit on Friday comes against the backdrop of urgent international diplomacy and increasingly aggressive threats from both sides. Senior defence and intelligence officials from Israel and Saudi Arabia were also in Washington for talks on Iran this week, Axios reported on Thursday.
The US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, said at a cabinet meeting on Thursday that his department would be able to deliver on any military instructions given by Trump. ”They [Iran] have all the options to make a deal,” he said. “They should not pursue nuclear capabilities. And we will be prepared to deliver whatever this president expects.”
Abbas Araghchi’s visit on Friday comes against the backdrop of urgent international diplomacy. Photograph: Vahid Salemi/AP
Related: Threat of US-Iran war escalates as Trump warns time running out for deal
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Trump Administration Weighs Options as Tensions with iran Remain High
The Trump administration is signaling a complex and evolving strategy toward Iran, alternating between threats of military action to defend protesters and concerns over the country’s nuclear program. Officials appear to be considering options ranging from targeted strikes on Iranian missile sites and Revolutionary Guard facilities to potentially triggering a collapse of the current regime, or at least securing the resignation of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. President Trump previously claimed to have dismantled Iran’s nuclear program during a brief military engagement in June, a claim disputed by U.S. intelligence agencies. Conflicting assessments of the campaign’s impact have since emerged.
Senator Marco Rubio cautioned against expecting a swift change in iran’s government, stating, “You’re talking about a regime that’s been in place for a very long time. So that’s going to require a lot of careful thinking, if that eventuality ever presents itself.”
“Enough is enough. The game is over.”
Mir Hossein Mousavi, former Iranian prime minister
Mir Hossein Mousavi, a former Iranian prime minister, has called for the current regime to step aside and for a constitutional referendum based on three principles: non-interference from abroad, rejection of domestic tyranny, and a peaceful democratic transition.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip erdoğan spoke with President Trump on Monday,seeking common ground between the U.S. and Iran before any potential military action.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei announced that Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will visit Turkey on Friday for official talks. “The Islamic Republic of Iran is determined to steadily strengthen relations with its neighbours based on the policy of good neighbourliness and shared interests,” Baghaei said.
U.S. administration officials maintain that Iran is fully aware of Washington’s demands, including the handover of highly enriched uranium, an end to domestic enrichment, limits on its missile program, and an end to support for proxy groups. Accepting all four demands would prove difficult for Iran.
Related: What does the US want from Iran? Tracking one month of Trump’s changing demands
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan argued against military action, stating, “It is wrong to attack Iran. It is wrong to start the war again. iran is ready to negotiate in the nuclear file.” He acknowledged the challenges Iran faces at the negotiating table, suggesting concessions “might seem humiliating” and be difficult to explain to the Iranian leadership.
Fidan also emphasized the need for Iran to rebuild trust in the region, stating they “need to create trust in the region [and] they need to pay attention how they are perceived by the regional countries.” He met with U.S. Ambassador to Ankara and special representative for Syria, Tom Barrack, on Thursday.
Most Gulf states have indicated they will not allow their airspace or territory to be used for attacks against Iran, seeking to protect themselves from potential Iranian retaliation.
