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Iran and US tiptoe towards dialogue after threats of war
The Independent
|January 13, 2026
Tehran says US lacks seriousness as messages are exchanged between Iranian foreign minister and Donald Trump's envoy
Iran and the United States have opened the door to dialogue, even after Tehran responded to threats of military action by Donald Trump by warning that it is “ready for war”.
The US president said Washington officials may meet with their Iranian counterparts, as he continued piling pressure on the regime to call off its repressive response to the protests taking place in Iran. Rights group Hrana claims that 544 people have been killed since the demonstrations began just over a fortnight ago.
A spokesperson for Tehran’s foreign ministry confirmed yesterday that a “communication channel between our foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and the US special envoy [Steve Witkoff] is open” and that “messages are exchanged whenever necessary”. Mr Trump told reporters yesterday morning that he was receiving “hourly” updates on the situation in Iran, and that the US was “looking at some very strong options”. Iran, he said, was “starting” to cross his red line.
This story is from the January 13, 2026 edition of The Independent.
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