Wednesday, January 28, 2026 - Iran has rejected holding negotiations with the United States if Washington continues to issue military threats, following remarks by President Donald Trump refusing to rule out military intervention over Tehran’s deadly crackdown on protests.
The rejection came as a US naval strike group led by an
aircraft carrier moved into Middle Eastern waters, prompting heightened
regional tension and intensified diplomatic activity by Iranian officials.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said diplomacy could not
succeed under the shadow of military pressure.
“Conducting diplomacy through military threat cannot be
effective or useful,” Araghchi said in televised comments.
“If they want negotiations to take shape, they must
certainly set aside threats, excessive demands and raising illogical issues,”
he added.
Araghchi also said he has had “no contact” with US Middle
East envoy Steve Witkoff in recent days and stressed that “Iran has not sought
negotiations.”
The United States has increased its military presence in the
region after Trump declined to rule out the use of force in response to Iran’s
violent suppression of nationwide protests. US Central Command confirmed that a
strike group led by the USS Abraham Lincoln has arrived in Middle Eastern
waters, without disclosing its exact location.
Analysts say Washington’s options range from limited strikes
on military facilities to targeted attacks against Iran’s leadership in a bid
to dismantle the system that has ruled the country since the 1979 Islamic
Revolution.
Amid the escalating standoff, Iran has reached out to key
Arab states allied with the United States in an apparent effort to rally
regional support. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke with Saudi Crown
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, while the Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National
Security Council, Ali Larijani, held talks with Qatari Prime Minister and
Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
Qatar said it supports “all efforts aimed at reducing
escalation and achieving peaceful solutions in a manner that enhances security
and stability in the region.”
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty also held separate
conversations with both Araghchi and Witkoff, stressing the need to “ease
tensions and work towards de-escalation” and create conditions for dialogue
between Washington and Tehran.
Meanwhile, rights groups say the scale of Iran’s crackdown
continues to grow. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said it has
verified 6,221 deaths linked to the protests, including 5,856 protesters, 100
minors, 214 security personnel and 49 bystanders. The group said it is still
investigating an additional 17,091 possible fatalities.
At least 42,324 people have been arrested, according to the
group, which warned that security forces are continuing raids, searching
hospitals for wounded protesters, arresting doctors accused of helping
demonstrators, and broadcasting forced confessions on state television.
“These developments highlight new dimensions of the
continued security crackdown in the aftermath of the protests,” the group said.
In a separate development, Iran announced the execution of a
man arrested in April 2025 on charges of spying for Israel’s intelligence
agency, Mossad. Rights groups say at least 12 people have been executed on
similar charges since last year and have expressed concern that protesters
could also face capital punishment.
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