US President Donald Trump urged Iran on Wednesday to reach an agreement, warning that failure to do so would result in an attack that would be “far worse”.
Trump said the fleet heading towards Iran was larger than the one previously deployed towards Venezuela, referring to the military build-up off Venezuela before the abduction of its president, Nicolás Maduro, by US special forces.
He added, “We hope Iran will sit at the negotiating table.”
Iran Signals Readiness for Dialogue
In a related development, Iran’s mission to the United Nations said on Wednesday that Tehran is ready for dialogue with the United States, but will defend itself if provoked.
In a statement published on the mission’s X account, it said, “Iran is ready for dialogue based on mutual respect and shared interests. However, if it is subjected to pressure, it will defend itself and respond in an unprecedented manner.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that managing and conducting diplomacy through military threats would not be productive or effective.
Speaking on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, and responding to a question about the latest developments in negotiations between Iran and the United States, Araghchi said, “There has been no contact between me and the US president’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, in recent days, and no request for negotiations has been made on our part.”
He pointed to ongoing contacts with mediators and various countries, stating, “We are in contact with those parties and intermediaries who are attempting, in good faith, to play a role. However, no decision has been taken so far, and there is no request for negotiations from our side.”
Earlier this month, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said that communication channels remain open between the foreign minister and the US special envoy Steve Witkoff.
Baghaei added that “communication channels remain open between the two sides, and when we see the time as appropriate and necessary, we will use them,” noting that the Swiss embassy, which represents US interests in Iran, is one of the channels used for such communication.
Turkish Advice
For his part, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan urged Washington to begin nuclear talks with Iran. His remarks came in an interview broadcast on Wednesday, coinciding with the arrival of US warships in the region amid preparations for a possible strike.
Fidan told Al Jazeera in English that “it is wrong to attack Iran. It is wrong to reignite war. Iran is ready to negotiate again on the nuclear file.”
He added, “My advice to our American friends has always been to close files one by one with the Iranians. Start with the nuclear file and conclude it, then move on to other files.”
Fidan’s comments followed an announcement by US Central Command on Monday that a US naval strike force led by an aircraft carrier had been positioned in Middle Eastern waters, without disclosing its exact location.
Last week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the unrest in Iran as a “new test” for Tehran, pledging that Türkiye “will stand against any initiative” that could drag the region into chaos.
He also expressed hope that diplomacy and dialogue would help Iran overcome this “difficult phase”.
Fidan told Al Jazeera, “When I was in Iran two months ago, I was very frank with my Iranian friends. They need to build trust in the region,” adding that “they must pay attention to how countries in the region view them”.
