In a significant shift in diplomatic tone, US President Donald Trump has reached out to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, urging new negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear program. However, the overture comes with a stark warning—if talks fail, military action remains on the table.
Trump, who has historically taken a hardline approach to Iran, revealed in an interview with Fox Business that he had sent a letter to Khamenei, emphasizing the urgency of negotiations. “I hope you’re going to negotiate because if we have to go in militarily, it’s going to be a terrible thing for them,” Trump stated. However, Iran’s mission to the United Nations denied receiving any such correspondence.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking at an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation meeting in Jeddah, dismissed the idea of direct talks under current US policies. “We will not enter any direct negotiations with the US so long as they continue their maximum pressure policy and their threats,” Araghchi told AFP. He also warned that Iran’s nuclear program “cannot be destroyed through military operations,” signaling the country’s defiance.
Trump’s approach marks a departure from his first term, when he withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal brokered by his predecessor, Barack Obama. That agreement, which lifted economic sanctions in exchange for limits on Iran’s nuclear activities, was abandoned by Trump in 2018, leading to renewed tensions and US-imposed sanctions on Iranian oil exports.
Iran initially complied with the deal but later scaled back its commitments in response to Washington’s actions. US officials now estimate that Iran could develop a nuclear weapon within weeks if it chose to pursue one.
Despite Trump’s renewed push for diplomacy, he has reimposed his “maximum pressure” policy, though reluctantly. In a move that signals a potential shift in strategy, he has also distanced himself from the most hawkish figures of his first administration, favoring a path that might allow for dialogue.
One unexpected figure reportedly involved in backchannel discussions is billionaire Elon Musk, who allegedly met with Iran’s ambassador to the UN to relay Trump’s desire for diplomatic solutions. However, Iran remains skeptical, especially given ongoing regional conflicts and Western military actions.
Tensions have escalated further following Israeli airstrikes on Iranian targets and its attacks on militant groups allied with Tehran, including Hamas and Hezbollah. Iran’s regional ally, Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, also fell in December, adding to the shifting geopolitical landscape.
The global response to Trump’s latest move remains divided. Supporters of diplomacy urge Iran to seize the opportunity for negotiations before conflict becomes inevitable. “If Iran’s leadership insists on waiting for perfect conditions, the risks of war will only increase,” warned Jamal Abdi, president of the National Iranian American Council.
Meanwhile, analysts such as Behnam Ben Taleblu of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies caution that Iran might exploit the negotiations to buy time and advance its nuclear ambitions. “Tehran has set a trap, hoping to lure Trump into endless diplomacy while continuing its nuclear development,” Taleblu asserted.
As both nations navigate this delicate standoff, the world watches closely, uncertain whether Trump’s latest outreach will lead to peace—or another escalation in a volatile region.