Tehran, Iran – According to Majid Farahani, an official with Iran’s presidency, diplomatic relations between the US and Iran could be revived swiftly if President Donald Trump instructs Israeli leaders to cease their military operations against Iran. In an interview with CNN on Friday, he stated, “Iran believes in civilian dialogue. Directly or indirectly is not important.”
Farahani emphasized that a simple phone call from Trump to Israeli officials could effectively end the hostilities, reiterating Iran’s stance that negotiations are unfeasible amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes.
While Iran maintains that it will not agree to halt its nuclear enrichment—asserted to be for peaceful purposes—Farahani indicated that some concessions could be negotiated. He remarked, “Maybe it can be lower but we don’t stop it.”
Recently, European nations have strengthened their position against enrichment, echoing the sentiments expressed by both American and Israeli leaders. France’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Christophe Lemoine, declared a definitive stance on “zero enrichment.” Iran insists it requires enriched uranium for non-military applications, but continues to produce substantial amounts of material near weapons-grade levels.
President Trump’s decision to initiate a two-week period for negotiations before considering military action has introduced a potential, albeit unlikely, avenue for peace between Iran and Israel.
In Geneva, discussions are ongoing among foreign ministers from Iran, Britain, France, and Germany, along with the European Union’s foreign policy chief, marking the first confirmed face-to-face dialogue since the hostilities began.
Despite increasingly belligerent rhetoric from the Trump administration, the prospect of military intervention now appears to be under reconsideration. Within Trump’s circle, there is a notable divide on the approach to Iran.
“If America gets involved in the war,” Farahani warned, “there are so many options and all those options are on the table.”
On Friday, large-scale pro-government demonstrations took place in Tehran, where citizens expressed their anger towards both Israel and the United States. A CNN team observed significant crowds of protesters, who waved Iranian, Hezbollah, and Palestinian flags, while burning American and Israeli flags.
Chants of “death to Israel, death to America” resonated through the streets, a common refrain at such rallies, as individuals voiced their outrage over the conflict. One woman told CNN, “Trump, you are threatening my leader. Don’t you know that my nation believes death is sweeter than honey?”