Overview
- Iran’s Fars news agency and other state-linked outlets reported that President Masoud Pezeshkian authorized negotiations with the United States on the nuclear file.
- Regional mediators from Turkey, Egypt and Qatar are working to set a meeting in Turkey between U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later this week, though plans remain unconfirmed.
- President Donald Trump said talks are ongoing and cautioned that “probably bad things will happen” without a deal, highlighting a U.S. naval buildup that includes the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group.
- Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned a U.S. attack would trigger a regional war, as Araghchi said Iran agrees with the goal of no nuclear weapons in exchange for sanctions lifting.
- NBC News reported Witkoff is scheduled to visit Israel on Tuesday, underscoring fluid diplomacy, while disputed protest death tolls—about 6,800 per HRANA versus roughly 3,117 per Tehran—add pressure on Iranian leaders.