Iran pushes for Friday nuclear talks in Oman amid rising tensions with US forces: source
Iran has requested that nuclear talks with the United States be held in Oman on Friday, a source familiar with the discussions told Fox News, as Tehran pushes for changes to the structure of renewed negotiations.
The request comes as Axios reported that Iranian officials are also pressing to limit the talks to a bilateral U.S.-Iran format, excluding other Arab and regional countries — a move that could complicate U.S. diplomatic efforts in the region.
The State Department has not publicly confirmed whether any talks are scheduled or what format they would take.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN ALREADY HAS US TERMS AS MILITARY STRIKE CLOCK TICKS
Reuters reported Monday that Tehran is examining the possibility of renewed nuclear talks with the United States, with Turkey emerging as a potential venue and regional mediators, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, playing an active role, after President Donald Trump said he was hopeful a deal could be reached to avert military action against Iran.
Trump has reportedly been weighing his options on a possible military strike on Iran amid widespread protests and violent crackdowns inside the country. Trump announced last week that a “massive Armada is heading to Iran,” led by the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that talks between the U.S. and Iran are still scheduled, confirming special envoy Steve Witkoff remains engaged in diplomatic discussions.
IRANIAN GUNBOATS UNSUCCESSFULLY ATTEMPT TO BOARD OIL TANKER AS TRUMP BUILDS MILITARY PRESENCE
“Oh, look, I just spoke with special envoy Witkoff. And, these talks as of right now are still scheduled. President Trump is always wanting to pursue diplomacy first, but obviously it takes two to tango. You need a willing partner to achieve diplomacy. And that’s something that special envoy Witkoff is intent on exploring and discussing,” Leavitt said.
Leavitt added that Trump continues to keep military options on the table.
“As always, though, of course, the president has a range of options on the table with respect to Iran. As commander in chief, I think they learned that quite well last year with the strike in Operation Midnight Hammer, which was wildly successful and obliterated their nuclear capabilities. But those talks will continue later this week as far as we’re concerned. Right now,” she said.
The news comes after six Iranian gunboats unsuccessfully attempted to halt a U.S.-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The security firm Vanguard Tech told its clients on Tuesday that the Iranian vessels were armed with .50-caliber guns, and they ordered the oil tanker to turn off its engines and prepare to be boarded. Instead, the tanker sped up and was ultimately escorted to safety by a U.S. Navy vessel, according to the Journal.
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In addition, the U.S. military shot down an unmanned Iranian drone Tuesday after it “aggressively approached a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier with unclear intent,” a U.S. Central Command spokesman told Fox News. No U.S. service members were injured and no U.S. equipment was damaged during the incident.
Iran’s president strikes softer tone on nuclear talks after Trump’s warning that ‘bad things would happen’
The Iranian president, who just days ago accused President Donald Trump of provoking unrest and trying to “tear this country apart,” is now striking a softer tone regarding talks about its nuclear program, following a warning from Trump.
Trump said at the White House on Monday that the U.S. is talking with Iran and that he would “like to see a deal negotiated.”
“And if we could work something out, that’d be great,” Trump added. “And if we can’t, probably bad things would happen.”
Masoud Pezeshkian then took to X on Tuesday and wrote, “In light of requests from friendly governments in the region to respond to the proposal by the President of the United States for negotiations: I have instructed my Minister of Foreign Affairs, provided that a suitable environment exists — one free from threats and unreasonable expectations — to pursue fair and equitable negotiations, guided by the principles of dignity, prudence, and expediency.”
IRAN RAMPS UP REGIONAL THREATS AS TRUMP CONSIDERS TALKS
“These negotiations shall be conducted within the framework of our national interests,” Pezeshkian also said.
Axios has reported that U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff will meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Istanbul on Friday. However, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News on Tuesday that Iran wants to move the discussions to Oman.
Pezeshkian told state television on Saturday that Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and European leaders “rode on our problems, provoked, and were seeking — and still seek — to fragment society,” according to Reuters.
IRAN STAGES KHAMENEI PHOTOS TO MASK CRACKS IN IRGC, OPPOSITION GROUPS SAY
“They brought them into the streets and wanted, as they said, to tear this country apart, to sow conflict and hatred among the people and create division,” Pezeshkian reportedly added about the anti-government protests and deadly crackdown that recently swept through Iran. “Everyone knows that the issue was not just a social protest.”
Then in a series of posts on X on Tuesday, Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said, “The United States wants to devour Iran; the Iranian nation and the Islamic Republic prevent this,” and, “Iran stands firm and will continue to stand firm, and — God willing — will put an end to the United States’ mischief and harassment.”
“The recent sedition was orchestrated by Zionists & the US. I was informed through a certain channel that the CIA & Mossad deployed all of their resources into the field!” Khamenei also claimed, without providing any evidence.
Trump said last week that “time is running out for Iran.”
In a Truth Social post last Wednesday, Trump wrote, “A massive Armada is heading to Iran.”
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“It is moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose. It is a larger fleet, headed by the great Aircraft Carrier Abraham Lincoln, than that sent to Venezuela. Like with Venezuela, it is, ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary. Hopefully, Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal — NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS — one that is good for all parties. Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!” the president warned.
US military shoots down Iranian drone approaching USS Abraham Lincoln in Arabian Sea, official says
The U.S. military shot down an unmanned Iranian drone Tuesday after it “aggressively approached a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier with unclear intent,” a U.S. Central Command spokesman told Fox News.
“USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) was transiting the Arabian Sea approximately 500 miles from Iran’s southern coast when an Iranian Shahed-139 drone unnecessarily maneuvered toward the ship,” Capt. Tim Hawkins added.
“The Iranian drone continued to fly toward the ship despite de-escalatory measures taken by U.S. forces operating in international waters,” CENTCOM also said. ” An F-35C fighter jet from Abraham Lincoln shot down the Iranian drone in self-defense and to protect the aircraft carrier and personnel on board.”
Hawkins said no U.S. service members were injured and no U.S. equipment was damaged during the incident.
IRANIAN GUNBOATS UNSUCCESSFULLY ATTEMPT TO BOARD OIL TANKER AS TRUMP BUILDS MILITARY PRESENCE
Hawkins also told Fox News on Tuesday that, “During a separate incident hours later in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces harassed a U.S.-flagged, U.S.-crewed merchant vessel lawfully transiting the international sea passage.”
“Two IRGC boats and an Iranian Mohajer drone approached M/V Stena Imperative at high speeds and threatened to board and seize the tanker,” the CENTCOM spokesman said. “Guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul (DDG 74) was operating in the area and immediately responded to the scene to escort M/V Stena Imperative with defensive air support from the U.S. Air Force. The situation de-escalated as a result, and the U.S.-flagged tanker is proceeding safely.”
IRAN RAMPS UP REGIONAL THREATS AS TRUMP CONSIDERS TALKS
The USS Abraham Lincoln is in the Middle East after President Donald Trump said last week that, “A massive Armada is heading to Iran.”
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“It is moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose. It is a larger fleet, headed by the great Aircraft Carrier Abraham Lincoln, than that sent to Venezuela. Like with Venezuela, it is, ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “Hopefully, Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal — NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS — one that is good for all parties. Time is running out, it is truly of the essence!”
Iranian gunboats unsuccessfully attempt to board US oil tanker as Trump builds military presence
Six Iranian gunboats unsuccessfully attempted to halt a U.S.-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The security firm Vanguard Tech told its clients on Tuesday that the Iranian vessels were armed with .50-caliber guns, and they ordered the oil tanker to turn off its engines and prepare to be boarded. Instead, the tanker sped up and was ultimately escorted to safety by a U.S. Navy vessel, according to the Journal.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
The incident comes as the U.S. continues to ramp up its military presence surrounding Iran, with President Donald Trump describing an “armada” arrayed in the area.
IRAN TO HOLD LIVE-FIRE DRILLS IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ WITH US ARMADA IN MIDDLE EAST
Iran’s regime has vowed that any military strike on its territory would ignite a regional conflict, even as senior Iranian officials signaled a willingness to negotiate with the U.S.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to arrive in Israel on Tuesday for meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, according to Axios. The publication also reported that Witkoff will meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Istanbul on Friday.
The talks in Israel are expected to focus on Iran, following Zamir’s weekend visit to Washington, where he held a series of meetings with U.S. defense officials on the Islamic Republic.
IRAN REVOLUTIONARY GUARD COMMANDER SAYS REGIME HAS ‘FINGER ON THE TRIGGER’ AS US WARSHIPS HEAD TO MIDDLE EAST
Trump said on Saturday he believes Iran is negotiating “seriously” with the U.S., stressing that he hopes an “acceptable” deal can be brokered.
When asked by a reporter aboard Air Force One whether he had decided on a strike against Iran, Trump responded, “I certainly can’t tell you that.”
“But we do have very big, powerful ships heading in that direction,” he added. “I hope they negotiate something that’s acceptable.”
The president then sidestepped a question about whether Tehran would be emboldened if the U.S. opted not to launch strikes on Iran, saying, “Some people think that. Some people don’t.”
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“You could make a negotiated deal that would be satisfactory with no nuclear weapons,” Trump said. “They should do that, but I don’t know that they will. But they are talking to us. Seriously talking to us.”
Iran ramps up regional threats as Trump considers talks, and eyewitness accounts of regime violence emerge
As diplomatic talks between Washington and Tehran gain momentum, Iran has intensified its rhetoric toward the region while continuing a violent crackdown at home, according to analysts and eyewitness accounts obtained by Fox News Digital.
On Sunday and Monday morning, Iran issued fresh warnings that any military strike on its territory would ignite a regional conflict, even as senior Iranian officials signaled a willingness to negotiate. Reuters reported Monday that Tehran is examining the possibility of renewed nuclear talks with the United States, with Turkey emerging as a potential venue and regional mediators, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, playing an active role, after President Donald Trump said he was hopeful a deal could be reached to avert military action against Iran.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to arrive in Israel on Tuesday for meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, according to Axios. The publication also reported that Steve Witkoff will meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Istanbul on Friday.
IRAN WILL RETALIATE ‘WITH EVERYTHING WE HAVE’ IF US ATTACKS, SENIOR DIPLOMAT WARNS
The talks are expected to focus on Iran, following Zamir’s weekend visit to Washington, where he held a series of meetings with U.S. defense officials on the Islamic Republic.
Benny Sabti, an Iran expert at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies, told Fox News Digital this pattern is consistent with Tehran’s long-standing strategy.
“This is very typical behavior for the Iranian regime,” Sabti said. He said Iran deliberately escalated threats days ago, warning that if it were attacked, no country in the Middle East would be safe. “They treat the region as if it is being held hostage,” he said, adding that the tactic appears to have worked.
Sabti pointed to the list of mediators now involved. “Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, all of them went to the United States pushing for talks,” he said. “They are trying to avoid being dragged into the Iranian threat.”
TRUMP SAYS IRAN ALREADY HAS US TERMS AS MILITARY STRIKE CLOCK TICKS
According to Sabti, Tehran is also projecting mixed messages by design. “There are two voices coming out of Iran,” he said. “On one side, the generals, the IRGC, the military, escalating threats. On the other side, the foreign minister and the president are talking about negotiations.”
On Monday morning, Al Arabiya reported that Iranian news agencies Tasnim and Fars deleted a report that referenced approval for negotiations with the United States.
Sabti said that even Iran’s National Security Council reflects this dual messaging. He noted that a deputy official recently signaled Iran would not yet further advance its enriched uranium, while military officials simultaneously escalated rhetoric. “It is meant to confuse the enemy and to keep the entire Middle East under pressure,” he said.
While Iran’s external posture oscillates between threats and diplomacy, reports from inside the country point to an intensifying crackdown on protesters.
Independent casualty estimates vary widely. The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported that, based on its latest aggregated data, 6,842 people had been confirmed killed by the end of the 36th day of protests. According to HRANA, 6,425 of those killed were recorded as protesters, while 146 were children under the age of 18. An additional 11,280 cases remain under review. HRANA and other opposition-linked groups have warned that the final toll could be significantly higher, with some estimates reaching as high as 30,000 deaths.
Fox News Digital received eyewitness accounts from individuals identified as part of the MEK’s Resistance Units network inside Iran.
IRAN’S SUPREME LEADER ACKNOWLEDGES THOUSANDS KILLED AS TRUMP CALLS FOR NEW LEADERSHIP: REPORTS
One eyewitness from Eslamshahr, a southern district of Tehran, said a group of 27 protesters was fired upon, killing 10. The source said a cousin was killed, another cousin, Melika, 20, was mutilated, and the bodies were buried in a nearby park.
In Lahijan, in northern Gilan Province, an eyewitness said 30 protesters were shot outside the governor’s office on Jan. 8, with seven later dying in the hospital. In Shiraz, a 16-year-old said he was shot with pellet guns in the lips, eye and throat and is now experiencing vision problems.
Another eyewitness from Bandar Abbas in southern Iran said that since Jan. 18, martial law has been imposed, with residents barred from the streets after 4 p.m. local time. The source claimed security forces entered hospitals to remove or kill wounded protesters and that families were allegedly told to pay 10 billion rials, roughly $8,000, to recover the bodies of their children.
Sabti said the renewed diplomacy has also deepened public disillusionment inside Iran.
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“Many protesters are very disappointed,” he said. “When Trump said on Jan. 13 that ‘help is on its way,’ they believed it. They were very emotional about it. After 47 years, an American president was speaking in support of the Iranian people. But now they interpret his words as helping the regime, not the protesters. The disappointment is very deep.”
Iran stages Khamenei photos to mask cracks in IRGC, opposition groups say
Iran’s regime released staged images of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an attempt to show strength and boost a military under strain, according to opposition groups operating outside the country.
The photographs, published by Iranian state media Jan. 31, marked Khamenei’s first public appearance in weeks and showed him praying at the tomb of Islamic Republic founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as regime officials issued new threats against the U.S. and Europe.
Ali Safavi, a senior official with the National Council of Resistance of Iran, said the images were aimed less at reassuring the public than at boosting morale among the regime’s weakening security forces.
“The images of Ali Khamenei were pure propaganda,” Safavi told Fox News Digital. “He wanted to show that he is not afraid of dying, but at the same time he is desperately trying to boost the morale of his demoralized forces.”
TRUMP SAYS IRAN CALLED ‘NUMEROUS’ TIMES TO MAKE DEAL AS CARRIER ENTERS MIDDLE EAST WATERS
Safavi said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) remains the backbone of the regime’s power but is showing signs of strain after weeks of suppressing nationwide protests.
“These images are intended to project strength and shore up the repressive forces,” he said. “But underneath, the regime is reeling from the reality that its criminal clique cannot break the will of the people and Khamenei knows the situation will never return to what it was before Dec. 28.”
The release of the photos coincided with calls from the European Parliament to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization.
HUNDREDS RALLY OUTSIDE IRANIAN UN AMBASSADOR’S FIFTH AVENUE RESIDENCE CALLING FOR REGIME CHANGE
“The IRGC is the backbone of this regime,” Safavi said. “Its disintegration can only occur after a fundamental shift in the balance of forces and with the presence of organized resistance on the ground. Only then do defections at lower levels of the military become meaningful.”
Tehran reacted angrily to the European move with Iranian lawmakers appearing in IRGC uniforms in a highly choreographed show of solidarity, according to reports.
A banner reading, “The Revolutionary Guard is the largest anti-terrorism organization in the world,” was displayed at the speaker’s podium, and the IRGC flag was prominently featured, according to the Times of Israel.
US MILITARY WARNS IRAN IT WILL NOT TOLERATE ANY ‘UNSAFE’ ACTIONS AHEAD OF LIVE-FIRE DRILLS IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ
“We saw the same thing when the U.S. designated the IRGC a foreign terrorist organization in 2019,” Safavi said.
“More than half of these lawmakers are former IRGC commanders,” he added. “The IRGC dominates Iran’s economy and permeates the executive, legislative and judicial branches, as well as educational institutions.”
After the U.S. dispatched a naval strike group led by the USS Abraham Lincoln to the region, Khamenei also warned Sunday in comments reported by Iranian state media that any military action would trigger a wider regional conflict.
“We are not the ones who start a war,” Khamenei said . “But if America attacks or harms Iran, the Iranian nation will deliver a strong blow — and any war started by America will spread across the region,” he said per reports.
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President Donald Trump said Sunday that if Iran does not reach a deal on its nuclear program, “we’ll find out” whether Khamenei’s warning proves correct.
“Doing business with Iran means doing business with the IRGC,” Safavi said. “The IRGC is the regime — even the clerics.”
US ambassador to NATO warns the ‘ball’ is in Iran’s ‘court’ as Trump confirms negotiations taking place
U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker said President Donald Trump has made clear demands of Iran, and what happens next will be up to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as an American naval fleet patrols the region. He added that Trump “won’t wait forever” for his ultimatum to be met.
“The president has been very clear on Iran… you can’t have a nuclear weapon, and you need to stop killing protesters in your streets,” Whitaker said Saturday on “The Big Weekend Show.”
“That’s a pretty clear red line.”
TRUMP SAYS IRAN ALREADY HAS US TERMS AS MILITARY STRIKE CLOCK TICKS
Whitaker described the “armada that is sitting off the coast of Iran” as both a show of strength and an “off ramp.” He said the Iranians “could de-escalate very easily and simply” by abandoning nuclear ambitions and halting the suppression of protests.
“We’ll see. The ball is in their court,” he said. “But you know, President Trump is not going to be forever patient on this.”
GULF SHIPPING OPERATIONS GRIND TO HALT NEAR IRAN; US QUIETLY PREPARES FOR POSSIBLE STRIKE: ‘HEIGHTENED RISK’
He emphasized that Trump’s aim was not to destabilize Iran amid reports that the president may be considering military action.
Trump said Saturday he believes Tehran is negotiating “seriously” with the U.S., and that he hopes an “acceptable” deal can be brokered.
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On Sunday, however, the speaker of Iran’s parliament said the Islamic Republic now considers all European Union militaries to be terrorist groups after the bloc declared the country’s paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terror group over its crackdown on nationwide protests.
This action has created concern that Iran might strike U.S. NATO allies should America attack again, following Operation Midnight Hammer, which targeted Iranian nuclear facilities in June.
Trump says Iran ‘seriously talking to us’ as military ships head to Middle East
President Donald Trump said Saturday he believes Iran is negotiating “seriously” with the U.S., stressing that he hopes an “acceptable” deal can be brokered.
The president’s comments were made as he reportedly weighs options on a possible military strike on Iran amid widespread protests and a violent crackdown in the country.
When asked by a reporter aboard Air Force One whether he had decided on a strike against Iran, Trump responded, “I certainly can’t tell you that.”
“But we do have very big, powerful ships heading in that direction,” he added. “I hope they negotiate something that’s acceptable.”
IRAN WILL RETALIATE ‘WITH EVERYTHING WE HAVE’ IF US ATTACKS, SENIOR DIPLOMAT WARNS
The president then sidestepped a question about whether Tehran would be emboldened if the U.S. opted not to launch strikes on Iran, saying, “Some people think that. Some people don’t.”
“You could make a negotiated deal that would be satisfactory with no nuclear weapons,” Trump said. “They should do that, but I don’t know that they will. But they are talking to us. Seriously talking to us.”
Trump has said the U.S. will not share military plans with Gulf allies while negotiating with Iran, even as U.S. naval forces surge into the region.
TRUMP SAYS IRAN CALLED ‘NUMEROUS’ TIMES TO MAKE DEAL AS CARRIER ENTERS MIDDLE EAST WATERS
Speaking with Fox News Channel senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich on Saturday, Trump said, “We can’t tell them the plan. If I told them the plan, it would be almost as bad as telling you the plan — it could be worse, actually.”
“But, look, the plan is that [Iran is] talking to us, and we’ll see if we can do something,” Trump continued. “Otherwise, we’ll see what happens. … We have a big fleet heading out there, bigger than we had — and still have, actually — in Venezuela.”
On Sunday, the speaker of Iran’s parliament said the Islamic Republic now considers all European Union militaries to be terrorist groups after the bloc declared the country’s paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terror group over its crackdown on nationwide protests.
Iran again invoked a 2019 law to declare other nations’ militaries terrorist groups following the United States’ designation of the Guard as a terror organization that year.
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The announcement by Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, a former Revolutionary Guard commander, comes as the Islamic Republic also planned live-fire military drills for Sunday and Monday in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil trade passes.