Ali Larijani said efforts were underway to obtain a framework for negotiations as the U.S. Navy’s presence in the Gulf fueled concerns.
A senior Iranian security official said progress was being made in negotiations with the US, even as Iran’s foreign minister again accused the US of escalating tensions between the two countries.
“Unlike the atmosphere of war created by the artificial media, the formation of structures for negotiations is progressing,” Ali Larijani, chairman of Iran’s Supreme Council for National Security, said in a social media post on Saturday.
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Larijani’s post did not provide details about the purported framework for the talks.
Tensions between Iran and the United States have risen in recent weeks as US President Donald Trump repeatedly threatens to attack Iran over its recent crackdown on anti-government protests and seeks to curtail Iran’s nuclear program.
The Trump administration has also sent a naval “fleet” led by the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln to Iran, raising concerns about a possible military conflict.
Senior Iranian leaders say they are willing to negotiate with the United States, but only after President Trump stops threatening to attack Iran.
President Trump said earlier this week that U.S. warships in Iran are prepared to use “violence if necessary” if Iran refuses to negotiate its nuclear program.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) also warned Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Friday of its plans to conduct two days of naval exercises in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical Gulf shipping lane for global trade.
“Any dangerous and unprofessional actions near U.S. military, regional partners, or commercial vessels increase the risk of conflict, escalation, and destabilization,” Centcom said in a statement.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi fired back in a social media post on Saturday, saying US forces operating off Iran’s coast were “trying to dictate how our powerful military should conduct target practice on its territory.”
“Centcom also demands ‘professionalism’ from the armed forces, which the U.S. government lists as a ‘terrorist organization’, while granting these same ‘terrorist organizations’ the right to conduct military exercises!” Araguchi wrote.
In 2019, during President Trump’s first term, the United States designated the Revolutionary Guards, the elite wing of Iran’s military, as a “terrorist” organization.
Araghchi added: “The presence of external forces in our region has always led to the exact opposite of what has been declared. It has encouraged escalation rather than de-escalation.”
Reporting from the Iranian capital Tehran, Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi said the situation remained “extremely fragile and delicate” amid the US military buildup in the region.
Still, he said Saturday’s statement by Iranian security official Larijani about progress in efforts to hold negotiations was a “positive” sign.
“Diplomacy (efforts) are (ongoing),” Assadi said, noting that senior Iranian officials have been meeting with allies in recent days as they seek to prevent a confrontation between the United States and Tehran.
Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani met Prime Minister Larrajani in Tehran on Saturday and discussed “efforts towards easing tensions in the region.”
The ministry said in a statement that Qatar reiterated its “support for all efforts aimed at de-escalating tensions and achieving a peaceful solution that enhances security and stability in the region.”
“He also stressed the need for concerted efforts to keep people in the region safe from the effects of escalation and to continue working with brotherly and friendly countries to address differences through diplomatic means,” it added.
