As Iran and the U.S. appear to inch toward talks, one protester calls on Trump to “keep his word”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tuesday he had asked the country’s foreign minister to “continue fair and equitable negotiations” with the United States after weeks of escalating tensions with the Trump administration. This is the first clear signal from Iran that it could participate in negotiations expected to take place later this week.

The decision came after “requests from friendly governments in the region to respond to the President of the United States’ proposal for negotiations,” Pezeshkian said in a social media post. “I have asked my Foreign Minister, provided that an appropriate environment exists – free from threats and unreasonable expectations – to pursue fair and equitable negotiations, guided by the principles of dignity, prudence and expediency.”

“I would like to see a negotiated agreement,” President Trump said Monday. “Right now we’re talking to them, we’re talking to Iran, and if we could find a solution, that would be great. And if we don’t, bad things would probably happen.”

Mr Trump has repeatedly threatened Iran with the possibility of another military attack, as what he calls an “armada” of US warships heads towards the Persian Gulf. He originally said the United States could attack if Iran kills protesters as part of the brutal crackdown on anti-government protests that rocked the country in early January. Last week he made the same threat, but said an attack could be launched. if Iran refuses to negotiate a new agreement on its nuclear program.

US envoy Steve Witkoff is visiting the region and Gulf countries including Turkey and Qatar are scrambling to arrange talks for later this week. The White House has not confirmed that Witkoff will participate in negotiations with Iranian officials. The foreign ministers of Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have also been invited to participate in the negotiations, if they take place, the Associated Press reported Tuesday, citing an unnamed regional official.

Iranian protester tells CBS News Mr Trump should ‘keep his word’

“Our greatest fear is that if they [the Iranian government] stay in power, they want revenge, because people crossed their red line by taking to the streets, shouting ‘Death to Khamenei and the Islamic Republic,'” Zahra, who participated in the protests as they reached their peak on January 8 and 9, told CBS News on Friday.

His name has been changed to protect his identity.

She said the Iranian people would support a US intervention to overthrow the regime led by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“People who have no connection with the regime want them to disappear at all costs. They want Khamenei to be removed, to be arrested or whatever. But they want the Islamic regime to disappear,” Zahra said. “Every single one of them, from the so-called hardliners – Khamenei’s inner circle – to those who were known as the reformists… we want them all to disappear, because they are a system. They worked together and they are complicit. »

Zahra said that during the protests in Iran, “we saw President Trump’s tweets on satellite television. We read when he said, “Help is on the way.” People trusted him. People trusted him enormously. And people took to the streets. »

She asked Mr. Trump to “keep his word.”

“We tried all possibilities and everything went peacefully,” Zahra said. “People were unarmed and were shot in crowds. So what I see is these people did everything they could for a better future. And now they understand we can’t do it alone.”