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 announced the reimposition of a U.S. naval blockade on all Iranian ports and warned that power plants and bridges could be targeted next week unless Tehran returns to negotiations.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 15th of July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The United States carried out a third consecutive night of airstrikes against Iran, targeting military capabilities around the Strait of Hormuz as Donald Trump announced the reinstatement of a blockade on Iranian shipping and proposed a 20% fee on cargo passing through the strategic waterway.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Tuesday that its Navy had struck U.S. military barracks, a satellite communications centre and a Patriot missile battery in Bahrain, while its Aerospace Force targeted an airbase in Jordan.
The United States carried out a third consecutive night of airstrikes against Iran, targeting military capabilities around the Strait of Hormuz as Donald Trump announced the reinstatement of a blockade on Iranian shipping and proposed a 20% fee on cargo passing through the strategic waterway.
The United States and Iran have significantly escalated their conflict, exchanging heavy missile and drone strikes across the Gulf region. Iran claims it has once again closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced the reimposition of a U.S. naval blockade on all Iranian ports and warned that power plants and bridges could be targeted next week unless Tehran returns to negotiations.
An overnight fire at a popular bar in Bangkok has killed at least 30 people and injured 70 others, making it one of the deadliest pub disasters in the Thai capital in recent years. Authorities say the venue quickly filled with thick smoke, trapping patrons inside.
IBM has warned that a surge in spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure is weighing on its core business, in one of the clearest signs yet of how the AI boom is reshaping the technology sector.
A Turkish-owned civilian merchant vessel carrying 11 Azerbaijani crew members was struck by a drone near Ukraine's Odesa coast on 14 July. Azerbaijani authorities said all crew members except the captain have been brought ashore, while search operations for the missing captain continue.
The United States will complete the withdrawal of its military forces from Iraq by 30 September, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi announced during a meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday.
President Ilham Aliyev has approved an agreement between the governments of Azerbaijan and Georgia on the supply of natural gas to Georgia, marking another step in energy cooperation between the two neighbouring countries.
Türkiye's first unmanned fighter aircraft has successfully completed a live-fire test using a domestically developed supersonic missile, striking a target more than 120 kilometres away over the Black Sea in another milestone for the country's defence industry.
Afghanistan and Türkiye are considering a tourism agreement to promote historic and religious sites, ease travel and train tourism workers, Afghan authorities said after talks in Kabul on Monday.
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