Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi contacted US Presidentʼs special representative Steve Witkoff last weekend.
This was reported by the American media outlet Axios on January 12, citing two sources.
This came amid reports that Donald Trump is considering US military intervention in Iran following mass protests in the country that have been going on for two weeks.
According to one of the sources, Witkoff and Araghchi discussed the possibility of holding a meeting in the coming days.
Axiosʼ interlocutors note that in this way the Iranian authorities are trying to reduce tensions in relations with the United States or at least buy more time before Trump orders further action to weaken the regime.
This is the first sign that the direct channel of communication between Washington and Tehran is still open, despite the impasse in nuclear negotiations and the exchange of threats between the two countries, the media adds.
At the same time, according to American officials, Witkoff and Araghchi began exchanging messages during nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran last year and continued to communicate even after the American bombing of Iranʼs nuclear facilities in June.
Protests in Iran
Mass protests have been ongoing in Iran since December 28, sparked by economic policies — the Iranian rial lost half its value against the dollar last year, and inflation exceeded 40% in December. The demonstrations have since spread to universities and provincial cities and have become openly anti-government.
The exact number of people killed in the protests is unknown. BBC journalists counted about 180 body bags in a video from a morgue near Tehran. The American Human Rights Activist News Agency reports that it has confirmed the deaths of 495 protesters and 48 security personnel across the country.
These protests were the largest since the 2022 mass protests, which resulted in the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini — she was detained allegedly for improperly wearing a hijab and later found dead.
According to The Times, Iranʼs Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has already prepared a backup plan in case the regime falls, an escape plan. A source told the media outlet that Moscow is seen as the only realistic option for Khamenei to seek refuge.
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