Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said Iran will pursue negotiations with the US after requests from friendly governments in the region to respond to a US proposal for talks.
In a statement on X, Pezeshkian said he had told Iran's Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi to pursue talks provided that a suitable environment exists - one free from threats and unreasonable expectations.
The Iranian president's words come after the country's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned any attack on Iran would spark a regional conflict.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to intervene in Iran over its nuclear ambitions and deadly crackdown on protesters, building up forces nearby.
These negotiations shall be conducted within the framework of our national interests, Pezeshkian added.
The talks will be held in Istanbul on Friday, according to US media reports.
Pezeshkian's announcement follows an interview with Araghchi in which he told CNN he was confident that we can achieve a deal.
Speaking to a press pool in the White House, Trump said on Monday if we can work something out that would be great, but warned that bad things would happen if not.
The US conducted targeted strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities last year in what it called Operation Midnight Hammer, following a large-scale operation by Israel targeting Iranian assets.
Trump added that there was a tremendous force headed to Iran, including aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.
These developments follow significant unrest in Iran, where protesters have faced a severe crackdown, with reports estimating thousands of casualties.
The ongoing protests in Iran were ignited by economic frustrations but have transitioned into calls for political change. Iranian officials have noted a concerning level of public anger that defies the previously established fear of government retribution.
Despite claims from Iranian authorities that the death toll stands at 3,117, independent monitoring groups suggest that the actual numbers are much higher, with reports indicating over 6,430 confirmed deaths and estimates exceeding 25,000 deaths.
