Media: Iran’s FM engaged White House envoy in bid to de-escalate crisis

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, reached out to White House envoy Steve Witkoff over the weekend as President Donald Trump continued to threaten the use of military force against Tehran in response to the wave of anti-government protests sweeping Iran, Axios reported, quoting two sources familiar with the matter.

The outreach is viewed by those sources as an attempt by Iran to de-escalate tensions with Washington or, at a minimum, gain time before Trump decides on further action aimed at weakening the regime.

The contact marks the first clear indication that a direct channel between Washington and Tehran remains active despite the collapse of nuclear negotiations and escalating public threats. One source said Araghchi and Witkoff have discussed the possibility of meeting in the coming days. It remains unclear whether their recent communication occurred by phone or text. The White House and the State Department declined to comment.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on January 11, Trump said Iran had reached out to the United States a day earlier and proposed discussions on a nuclear deal. “We may meet with them. A meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening, before the meeting,” he said. Vice President JD Vance, addressing reporters last week, reiterated that Washington remained open to talks. “The smartest thing for them to have done… is for them to actually have a real negotiation with the United States about what we need to see when it comes to their nuclear program,” he said.

Behind the scenes, U.S. officials say Witkoff and Araghchi began exchanging text messages during last year’s nuclear talks and continued even after the United States bombed Iranian nuclear facilities in June. Their communications extended into October.

On January 12, Araghchi confirmed to al-Jazeera that he has been in touch with Witkoff and that a potential meeting is under consideration. “There are proposed ideas that are being examined,” he said, while insisting Iran would not negotiate under military threat. He warned that Tehran is prepared for any U.S. action. “We have a higher level of military readiness compared to what we had during the last war. There are those who are trying to drag Washington into a war in order to advance Israel’s interests,” he stated.

Trump is expected to meet his national security team on Tuesday to discuss options for supporting the protests and further pressuring Tehran. On Sunday, he signalled that “very strong options” remain under review.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Monday that airstrikes are among “many options” available to the president, adding that while Trump is not hesitant to use force, he prefers diplomacy. “What you’re hearing publicly from the Iranian regime is quite different from the messages the administration is receiving privately,” she said. “The President has an interest in exploring those messages.”

By Tamilla Hasanova