Iran’s top diplomat quietly reached out to the Trump administration over the weekend as protests continue to shake the Islamic Republic, signaling a potential diplomatic opening even as public threats and military warnings escalate.

According to two sources familiar with the matter, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke with Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East. The conversation, first reported by Axios, focused on the unfolding unrest inside Iran, which has entered its third week amid a deadly crackdown by security forces.

The outreach comes after Trump publicly revealed that Iran had contacted the United States seeking a possible return to negotiations over its nuclear program. It also follows a series of increasingly blunt warnings from Trump, who has said he would not rule out military action in response to Tehran’s handling of the protests.

Those threats have drawn sharp retaliation from Iranian leaders. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that any U.S. strike would prompt Iran to retaliate against Israel and American military installations across the region, labeling them “legitimate targets.”

Behind the scenes, however, U.S. officials appear to be urging caution. According to The Telegraph, senior defense officials told Trump on Sunday that the military would need additional time to prepare for potential strikes on Iran, underscoring divisions between the administration’s rhetoric and the Pentagon’s operational readiness.

Meanwhile, the human toll inside Iran continues to rise. The Human Rights Activists News Agency reported Tuesday that at least 544 people have been killed in 15 days of protests, including hundreds of demonstrators, dozens of security personnel, and several minors. More than 10,600 people have been arrested, with hundreds of additional deaths still under investigation.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)