Iran president orders start of talks with US

• Iran summons EU diplomats over IRGC terror label
• Top US, Israeli generals meet at Pentagon amid tensions
• Iran protester Erfan Soltani released on bail

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the start of nuclear talks with the United States, the news agency Fars reported yesterday.

“Iran and the United States will hold talks on the nuclear file,” Fars said, without specifying a date. The report was also carried by the government newspaper Iran and the reformist daily Shargh.

Earlier in the day, Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that details of various diplomatic processes to manage tensions with the US are being examined by Iran, adding that Tehran hoped for results in the coming days.

Amid a military buildup by the US Navy near Iran, US President Donald Trump told reporters last week that Iran was “seriously talking” with Washington, hours after Tehran’s top security official Ali Larijani said on X that arrangements for negotiations were underway.

“Regional countries are the go-between for messages that have been exchanged. Various points have been exchanged and we are currently deciding and examining the details of each diplomatic process that we hope will bring results in coming days,” Baghaei said.

“This pertains to the process and framework of (talks),” he said, adding that Iran did not receive any “ultimatum” from Trump on negotiations.

On Sunday and yesterday, “representatives of all EU member states that have an embassy in Tehran were summoned to the foreign ministry”, after the EU’s designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist group, Baqaei said. “This is the smallest of measures” before other moves are announced, he told a foreign ministry press briefing.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday likened the recent protests to a “coup”, warning that a US attack would trigger a broad conflict. Asked about the Iranian leader’s warning, Trump told reporters: “Of course he is going to say that.

“Hopefully we’ll make a deal. If we don’t make a deal, then we’ll find out whether or not he was right,” he said.

The top US and Israeli generals held talks at the Pentagon on Friday, two US officials told Reuters yesterday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The officials did not offer details about the closed-door discussions between US General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Eyal Zamir.