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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The U.S. military is redirecting at least three Iranian-flagged tankers after intercepting them in Asian waters near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Tehran said U.S. breaches, blockades and threats are undermining “genuine negotiations.”
European logistics companies are set to report stronger first-quarter profits, benefiting from supply chain disruption linked to the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, though analysts warn the conflict could weaken demand later this year.
An Israeli airstrike killed five Palestinians, including three children, near a mosque in Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday (22 February), health officials said.
The current standoff between the U.S. and Iran is likely to continue in the near term, with both sides seeking to outlast the other rather than escalate into a wider conflict, according to political analyst Orkhan Nabiyev.
Pakistan is confident it can bring Iran to talks with the United States, a senior official said, citing “positive signals” from Tehran, as JD Vance is reportedly set to visit Islamabad on Tuesday for peace talks, according to Axios.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards targeted three vessels, seizing two of them for alleged maritime violations and transferring them to Iranian shores, as U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington is extending its ceasefire with Iran until Tehran submits a proposal.
A gunman who killed seven people in a mass shooting in Kyiv on Saturday (18 April) had quarrelled with his neighbour before he opened fire on passersby, public broadcaster Suspilne cited Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko as saying on Tuesday.
Two local trains collided head-on north of Copenhagen on Thursday (23 April), injuring 17 people, five of them critically, according to emergency services.
The U.S. military has intercepted at least three Iranian-flagged tankers in Asian waters and is redirecting them away from their positions near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday, exclusively to Reuters.
United Nations experts have urged the Indian authorities to release Jagtar Singh Johal, who was arrested in Punjab in late 2017 and has remained in prison since. Allegations have been made that he was tortured and threatened with death in custody.
Central Asian leaders have warned that worsening water shortages now pose a direct threat to regional stability, urging coordinated action and stronger international engagement.
The European Union says its envoy Gilles Bertrand raised concerns over women’s rights, regional security and cross-border tensions during a visit to Kabul, while Afghan officials urged more development aid, trade access and continued dialogue.
Russia has confirmed the suspension of Kazakh oil shipments to Germany via the Druzhba pipeline, citing technical reasons, in a move that could disrupt refinery supplies in eastern Germany.
Georgia has assumed the rotating chairmanship of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC), formally taking over on 22 April in Vienna and placing it at the centre of key security discussions at a time of rising geopolitical tension and declining trust between states.
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