Direct communication between senior U.S. and Iranian officials has broken down as tensions rise over Tehran’s crackdown on protests and fears of U.S. military action.
Contacts between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff have been suspended, citing a senior Iranian official.
The development comes as President Donald Trump warned of possible U.S. military strikes against Iran following reports of protesters being killed during antigovernment demonstrations. The warning follows a brief war in June, when U.S. forces bombed Iranian nuclear sites during a 12-day conflict launched by Israel.
Iran has responded by threatening retaliation against U.S. military bases across the region if it is attacked.
Amid the escalating tensions, some personnel have been advised to leave the U.S. military’s Al Udeid airbase in Qatar - Washington’s largest base in the Middle East — by Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile, Iran’s judiciary signalled a tougher response to the protests. Chief Justice Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei said trials and punishments must be carried out quickly to maintain deterrence.
“If we want to do something, we have to do it now,” he said in comments broadcast by Iranian state television, warning that delays would weaken the impact of punishment. Activists fear the remarks point to fast-tracked trials and possible executions of detained protesters.
Iran’s Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh also issued a strong warning, saying Iran had “many surprises” for any attacker. He added that countries assisting strikes against Iran would be considered legitimate targets.
“If these threats turn into action, we will defend the country with full force and until the last drop of blood,” Nasirzadeh said at a security meeting.
The breakdown in diplomacy has raised fears that the standoff between the U.S. and Iran could move closer to direct confrontation.
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Washington has accepted Tehran’s request to relocate planned nuclear talks, with negotiations now expected to take place in Oman on Friday (6 Februrary), Axios reported.
Armed boats tried to intercept a vessel north of Oman on Tuesday in waters near the Strait of Hormuz, where heightened military activity and U.S.–Iran tensions are fuelling maritime security concerns.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has begun a two-day visit to Saudi Arabia and Egypt, seeking to deepen political and economic cooperation as regional tensions over Gaza, Iran and wider Middle East stability dominate the agenda.
Talks with the U.S. should be pursued to secure national interests as long as "threats and unreasonable expectations" are avoided, President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on X on Tuesday (3 February).
Talks with the U.S. should be pursued to secure national interests as long as "threats and unreasonable expectations" are avoided, President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on X on Tuesday (3 February).
Cuba’s Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío has denied that Havana and Washington have entered formal negotiations, countering recent assertions by U.S. President Donald Trump, while saying the island is open to dialogue under certain conditions.
Mexico said it will stop sending oil to Cuba as U.S. President Donald Trump ramped up pressure on the Caribbean nation.
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Web Summit Qatar 2026 opened in Doha on Sunday, drawing tens of thousands of founders, investors, policymakers and technology leaders to what organisers describe as one of the region’s largest digital economy gatherings.
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Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 4rd of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Tuesday (February 3) one day after the U.S. and India signed a trade deal.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday and discussed the situation in Ukraine, including the overnight Russian attacks on the country, the UK government said.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday (3 February) signed a spending deal into law that ends a partial U.S. government shutdown and gives lawmakers time to negotiate potential limits on his immigration crackdown.
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