Trump open to Iran talks only if it abandons nuclear program, says US official

Rubio said: "Behind every terrorist group, behind every act of violence, behind every destabilizing activity, behind everything that threatens peace and stability for the millions of people that call this region home is Iran.

"And by Iran I mean the ayatollahs, by Iran I mean its regime, a regime who by the way, its people don’t support. The people of Iran are victims of that regime."

Netanyahu, who has long campaigned for harsher policies on Iran from global powers, warning of the threat the country's nuclear program poses to the region, welcomed the comments which echo his own years-long campaign against Tehran.

“Israel and America stand shoulder to shoulder in countering the threat of Iran," he said. "We agree that the ayatollahs must not be allowed to have nuclear weapons. We also agreed that Iran’s aggression in the region has to be rolled back.”

Addressing the Gaza war against Iran-backed militants, Hamas, Netanyahu said Israel had dealt a significant blow to Tehran over the past 16 months, adding that with the support of Trump, "I have no doubt we can and will finish the job".

He also said Israel had weakened the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement in southern Lebanon and had hit hundreds of targets in Syria to prevent a new Iranian-backed front opening up against Israel.

"Now, if any other force believes that Israel will permit other hostile forces to use Syria as a base of operations against us, they are gravely mistaken," Netanyahu said.

The report said that Riyadh is concerned that Iran may be more inclined to pursue nuclear weapons after the weakening of its allied forces in the Middle East, which had long been seen as a deterrent against Israeli attacks.

Saudi Arabia hopes to leverage its ties with US President Donald Trump to provide Iran with a diplomatic channel to the White House, according to the report.

CNN added that it remains unclear whether Saudi Arabia has made a formal offer, but said the move highlights Riyadh’s efforts to build on its improving relations with Iran and secure a role in any future negotiations.

On Saturday Al-Hadath cited a senior European diplomat saying that if Tehran fails to reach an agreement with the Trump administration before October, Israel will launch a military attack on Iran.

The director general of the UN's nuclear watchdog on Friday said the international community should not waste any more time and should finalize a deal on Iran's nuclear program before it is too late.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Rafael Grossi said Iran would likely have about 250 kg of uranium enriched to up to 60% by the time of the agency's next report in the coming weeks.

On February 4, Trump signed a directive reviving his so-called maximum pressure policy on Iran from his first term aimed at driving the Islamic Republic's oil exports to zero. After signing the memorandum, he said he would prefer a deal with Tehran to an Israeli attack on their nuclear sites.

"I would love to make a deal with them without bombing them," he said on Fox News.

Following weeks of ambivalent signals regarding negotiations and a struggle in Tehran's political scene, Khamenei finally voiced his opposition to negotiations on February 7, saying talks with the US are "not smart, wise, or honorable."

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian also said the country would not yield to external threats.

During last week's state rally marking the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Pezeshkian accused the US of duplicity, saying that Trump called for negotiations while continuing sanctions.

Iran’s Supreme Leader praised the president for rejecting talks with the United States and said Tehran must continue its military progress after Trump’s threat to stop Iran's nuclear program by force.

Meanwhile, several politicians and commentators have maintained a defiant stance, while others, including President Pezeshkian, have remained in denial about the talks, insisting they can address Iran's problems without the need to lift sanctions.

For the second time in less than a week, Jomhouri Eslami—a daily linked to Khamenei's office but often critical of hardline policies—argued in a February 15 article that negotiations between Tehran and Washington remain possible if Trump moderates his tone toward the Islamic Republic.

The daily accused Trump of "naivety," stating, "The responses he received from Iranian officials should have shown him that arrogant rhetoric does not work with Iran." It also addressed Trump directly, asserting, "Iran is not opposed to negotiations—it is opposed to blackmail."

Meanwhile, former Justice Minister and security official Mostafa Pourmohammadi told Entekhab news website on February 15 that "Khamenei has never forbade negotiations with the United States." However, this statement was in a clear and sharp contrast with Khamenei's latest remarks.

Pourmohammadi commented, "Khamenei has never closed the door to negotiations. On the contrary, it is US officials who want to portray Iran as unwilling to negotiate. In reality, we are a rational state with a strong foundation and an educated nation always ready for dialogue with the world."

Elsewhere in the interview, he contradicted himself, saying, "We would never negotiate with arrogant individuals who first slap us in the face and then say, 'Let's kiss and talk.'" His remarks closely echoed Pezeshkian’s February 10 speech on the anniversary of the 1979 revolution, where he dismissed negotiations with Trump and called his behavior "unmanly."

The conservative Nameh News website quoted ultraconservative commentator Foad Izadi, frequently presented by Iranian state TV as a US politics expert, as saying, "Trump will attack Iran if he believes the cost will be low or manageable. However, if he sees that such an attack would come at a high price, he will never go through with it."

Nameh News described Tehran and Washington as being at a historic turning point in their relations. The outlet noted that Pezeshkian had hoped to engage in talks with Trump under the conditions set by his administration in 2018. However, Trump’s latest stance—implying that Iran could avoid Israeli airstrikes if it agreed to negotiate—has left Tehran in a state of uncertainty.

The Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA) quoted Iran's security chief, Ali Ahmadian, as saying that Iran has no ideological opposition to negotiating with the United States. However, he asserted that Tehran refuses to engage with Washington due to its "arrogant behavior" before and during the 2015 nuclear negotiations, as well as its failure to uphold commitments after the deal was reached.

Meanwhile, some Iranian politicians and commentators, including conservative figure Nasser Imani, have advocated strengthening ties with China and Russia instead of engaging with the United States. The Rouydad24 website quoted Imani as saying, "There is no point in making a deal with America. We have to pivot toward China and Russia."

At the same time, Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani, a member of the parliament's national security committee, addressed US concerns over Iran’s potential nuclear weaponization. In what appeared to be support for developing nuclear weapons, he stated, "Whether we have a bomb or not, US sanctions will continue." However, echoing moderate politicians and media, Ardestani added, "We will negotiate with America if Trump adopts a softer tone and rhetoric."

"The Trump administration is trying to reach an agreement with Iran before October. However, if this agreement is not achieved, the region will face a serious crisis," the diplomat said.

The senior diplomat cited by Al-Hadath said the United States is seeking direct and confidential negotiations with Iran.

On February 4, Trump signed a directive reviving his so-called maximum pressure policy on Iran from his first term aimed at driving the Islamic Republic's oil exports to zero. After signing the memorandum, he said he would prefer a deal with Tehran to an Israeli attack on their nuclear sites.

"I would love to make a deal with them without bombing them," he said on Fox News.

The European diplomat cited by Al-Hadath said the Islamic Republic is weaker than ever and is desperate to negotiate.

"Iran will accept any agreement that includes the lifting of sanctions," the diplomat said, adding that Tehran is waiting for the Trump administration to appoint a negotiator.

In his Fox News interview, Trump said that Iran is terrified after losing almost all its air defenses and now would love to make a deal with the United States.

"Iran is very concerned. Iran is very frightened, to be honest with you, because their defense is pretty much gone," Trump said.

He was apparently referring to Israel's October attacks on Iran which, according to US officials, knocked out the country's last three Russian-provided S-300 air defense missile systems.

This marks the latest in a series of deportations under policies implemented during Donald Trump’s presidency, which have sent undocumented migrants to countries including Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Guatemala, Panama and the Guantanamo Bay military base in Cuba.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei urged the US to uphold international norms in its treatment of immigrants. He said that Iran “will spare no effort in protecting its citizens abroad,” adding that the Iranian Interests Protection Office in Washington and diplomatic missions in South America have been instructed to assist deported Iranians.

“Iran is the homeland of all Iranians, and our compatriots can freely return to their homeland and travel,” Baghaei said.

This follows the deportation of at least 12 Iranian migrants who had illegally entered the US via Mexico. The migrants were detained and flown to Panama on a US military plane, a move that has drawn significant scrutiny.

The deportees say they were shackled and handcuffed during the transfer and are now confined to a Panamanian hotel under US government oversight. According to the deportees, the US appears intent on erasing any evidence that they had ever entered the country.

It is not clear how many applied for political asylum in the US, but some report being stranded without money, internet access, or legal counsel, and they fear being sent back to Iran.

Among them is Artemis Ghasemzadeh, who told Iran International TV that she and others were initially told they were being moved to a camp in Texas.

“The security personnel didn’t tell us where we were going, and when we landed, we saw Panama’s flag on their uniforms,” she said.

Ghasemzadeh described their current confinement, saying, “We are monitored, denied legal help, and terrified we might be sent back to Iran.”

Ghasemzadeh also said that many of the group had entered the US legally before or shortly after Trump took office. “The US says we are illegal immigrants, but we are not. We have all approved documents,” she added.

The deportees say they fled Iran to escape persecution for their involvement in anti-government protests or religious conversion to Christianity—both punishable by severe measures in Iran, including imprisonment or execution.

Iran has faced international criticism for its crackdown on dissent, with thousands arrested and hundreds killed during protests since the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini in custody. Several protesters have been executed without fair trials, and many others are at imminent risk of execution.

Panamanian officials have said the deportees will remain in shelters temporarily before being repatriated to their home countries. However, the group’s future remains uncertain as they contend with the fear of life-threatening consequences should they return to Iran.