U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday (29 January) he planned to speak with Iran, as the United States dispatched another warship to the Middle East and said the military was ready to act.
Speaking to reporters, Trump did not elaborate on the nature or timing of any dialogue or say who from Washington would lead the negotiations.
"I am planning on it, yeah," Trump said when asked about possible discussions with Tehran.
"We have a lot of very big, very powerful ships sailing to Iran right now, and it would be great if we didn’t have to use them."
U.S. officials say Trump is reviewing his options but has not decided whether to strike Iran. U.S.-Iranian tensions have soared in recent weeks after a deadly crackdown on protests across Iran by its clerical authorities.
Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene if Iran continued to kill protesters, but the countrywide demonstrations over economic privations and political repression have since abated.
He has said the United States would act if Tehran resumed its nuclear programme after air strikes in June last year by Israeli and U.S. forces on key nuclear installations.
With a large U.S. military force gathered in the region, Hegseth was asked earlier in the day by Trump at a cabinet meeting to comment on the situation in Iran.
"They should not pursue nuclear capabilities. We will be prepared to deliver whatever this president expects of the War Department," Hegseth said, referring to the Trump administration's unofficial renaming of the Defense Department.
Meanwhile, two days ago, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said he had not been in contact with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in recent days or requesting negotiations, state media reported on Wednesday (28 January).
The comment came after President Trump had said on Tuesday another "armada" is floating toward Iran and that he hopes Tehran would make a deal with Washington.
"There was no contact between me and Witkoff in recent days and no request for negotiations was made from us," Araqchi told state media, adding that various intermediaries were "holding consultations" and were in contact with Tehran.
"Our stance is clear, negotiations don't go along with threats and talks can only take place when there are no longer menaces and excessive demands."
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian told Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday that Tehran welcomes any process, within the framework of international law, that prevents war.
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U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran to strike a deal within 10-15 days or face "really bad things," after Geneva talks this week ended without a b...
U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran to strike a deal within 10-15 days or face "really bad things," after Geneva talks this week ended without a breakthrough despite claims of progress. The comment comes amid a buildup of military from both sides in the region.
Iranian and Russian navies staged a joint exercise in the northern Indian Ocean on Thursday, as Washington builds up its military assets in the region, including deploying warships near Iran, despite renewed indirect nuclear negotiations with Tehran.
Israel is preparing for the possibility of receiving a green light from the United States to launch strikes against Iran’s ballistic missile system, according to Israel’s public broadcaster KAN.
The United States and Iran reported measured progress after a new round of indirect talks in Geneva aimed at resolving the dispute over Tehran’s nuclear programme.
Israel is preparing for the possibility of receiving a green light from the United States to launch strikes against Iran’s ballistic missile system, according to Israel’s public broadcaster KAN.
Aghdam’s Qarabag FK experienced a 6–1 defeat to England’s Newcastle United in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League play-off tie in Azerbaijan's capital Baku Wednesday evening (18 February).
U.S. President Donald Trump’s 'Board of Peace' will hold its first leaders’ meeting on Thursday (19 February) in Washington, D.C., launching an initiative aimed at stabilising Gaza and addressing global conflicts. It's drawn support from regional powers but refusals from several EU countries.
U.S.-mediated talks between Russia and Ukraine in Geneva ended after two days of negotiations that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described as difficult, while signalling progress on the military track.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez in the Kremlin on Wednesday, telling him that new restrictions imposed on the communist-run island were unacceptable.
The Baku Initiative Group hosted an international conference in Azerbaijan’s capital under the title “Neocolonialism and Global Inequality,” bringing together political movements from different parts of the world that said they were still confronting both the legacy and modern forms of colonial rule
Georgia is facing renewed scrutiny over alleged police ill-treatment and lack of accountability after the Council of Europe’s anti-torture body raised serious concerns in findings published on 18 February.
A Turkish parliamentary commission on Wednesday approved a document outlining proposed legal frameworks for the dissolution of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The Armenian Cabinet has approved a military-technical cooperation agreement (MTC) with Poland, which will be forwarded to parliament for ratification following its signing, according to Armenian media.
Kazakhstan has entered the world’s top 50 economies by GDP in 2026, ranking 50th with a projected nominal output of $320 billion. The result reflects sustained growth, structural reforms and the country’s rising role as a regional economic hub.
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