Trump confirms ongoing U.S.-Iran negotiations amid military tensions

President Donald Trump confirmed Tuesday that both his administration and Iran's regime are holding active diplomatic negotiations, though he offered few details on the content of the talks. In brief statements to the press at the White House, Trump acknowledged the dialogues and limited himself to saying, "They are negotiating," without specifying who is involved or where the talks are taking place.

The Republican leader's statements came on the same day that the U.S. military reported that it had shot down an Iranian drone in the Arabian Sea. The U.S. Central Command said the drone was intercepted by a fighter jet after coming too close to the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, underscoring the tense atmosphere surrounding these diplomatic efforts.

Although he avoided providing specifics, Trump alluded to previous U.S. military actions against Iran, including "Operation Midnight Hammer," the strike launched in June last year against Tehran's nuclear infrastructure. The president suggested that Iran's renewed willingness to talk could be in response to a desire to avoid a new confrontation. "They are negotiating. They’d like to do something. We’ll see if something is going to be done. They had a chance to do something a while ago, and it didn’t work out, and we did Midnight Hammer. I don’t think they want that happening again. They would like to negotiate. We are negotiating with them right now," Trump said.

Asked where the talks were taking place, the president gave a vague answer, telling reporters in the Oval Office that the dialogues were taking place "all over." His comments coincide with several reports that have indicated that various regional intermediaries could be facilitating the process, as Washington tries to balance the diplomatic track with military deterrence amid long-standing disagreements over Iran's nuclear program and how Tehran has been becoming the most destabilizing element in the Middle East over the past several decades.

Iran's position

Shortly before Trump's words, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian indicated that Tehran was ready for dialogue with Washington following demarches by allied countries in the region. In a message posted on X, Pezeshkian stated that he instructed Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to move forward with negotiations "provided there is a suitable environment, free of threats and unreasonable expectations."Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he was ready for dialogue with Washington following demarches by allied countries in the region. In a message posted on X, Pezeshkian said he instructed Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to move forward with negotiations "provided there is a suitable environment, free of threats and unreasonable expectations.

Pezeshkian's remarks came shortly after Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned that any attack on the country could trigger a "regional war." In parallel, Trump has continued to bolster the U.S. military presence in the Middle East and has warned of the possibility of military action if Iran refuses to reach an agreement on its nuclear program or continues its crackdown on protesters.

Pezeshkian stressed that Tehran's position will be focused on "fair and equitable negotiations," and stressed that these must be "conducted within the framework of our national interests."