Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, arrived in Istanbul on Friday for talks, as Turkey has offered to help mediate tensions with the United States, which so far has suspended the launch of a military strike against Iran.
During his visit, Araghchi is expected to hold talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Iran is prepared to resume negotiations with the United States, Araghchi said, but stressed that the talks must be fair and must not include Iran’s defensive capabilities.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he planned to speak with Iran, even as the United States deployed another warship to the Middle East, and the head of the Pentagon stated that the military would be ready to carry out whatever decision the president makes.
One of the key U.S. demands for resuming talks with Iran is the curtailment of Iran’s missile program, according to a senior Iranian official.
