President Trump has claimed that the Iranian regime “wants to talk” as the US continues to exert pressure on Tehran over the brutal repression of anti-government protests in the country.
Washington has still not ruled out a military intervention against the Islamic Republic, even as the prospect of regime change appears to fade.
Mohammad Movahedi Azad, Iran’s prosecutor-general, claimed last week that the civil unrest, sparked by an economic collapse late last year, had ended.
At least 6,126 people were killed as security forces attempted to crush the demonstrations, according to human rights groups, though some activists have claimed the death toll topped 30,000.
Trump previously threatened to take “very strong action” against Tehran if protestors continued to be killed, but, as of last week, he was reportedly undecided on whether to take the military route.
And, speaking to Axios, the president indicated that a diplomatic solution is still a possibility.
"They want to make a deal. I know so. They called on numerous occasions. They want to talk,” he said.
The White House’s conditions for such a deal are understood to include significant limitations on Iran’s ability to enrich uranium (due to the ever-present fear of the regime developing a nuclear weapon), as well as restrictions on its ballistic missile programme.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN’s nuclear watchdog, estimates that Iran is in possession of around 400kg of 60 per cent enriched uranium, which can, relatively easily, be converted to the 90 per cent enrichment threshold to be considered “weapons grade”.
Any restriction on enrichment, which Tehran maintains is necessary for a clean energy programme, has previously been ruled out as “red lines” by Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi.
However, Trump also hinted at the continuing possibility of US strikes, saying: “We have a big armada next to Iran. Bigger than Venezuela.”
The “armada” in question appears to be the USS Abraham Lincoln, an aircraft carrier which, along with its associated strike fighter group, arrived in the Arabian Gulf on Monday.
According to the latest reports, the vessel has entered “ghost mode”, turning off its Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders to prevent open-source and commercial tracking services from broadcasting its real-time location.
This makes it significantly harder for Iran to target the carrier after it was diverted to the Gulf last week, placing it easily within range for strikes, while also likely positioning it in the waters of Saudi Arabia – a US ally and fierce opponent of the Islamic Republic.
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