'Serious talks': US and Iran in high-stakes discussion as military tensions escalate in Gulf

US President Donald Trump has said that Washington and Tehran are engaged in what he described as “serious talks,” following a significant increase in American military presence in the Gulf region. Speaking amid escalating tensions, Trump expressed hope that any agreement with Iran would be “acceptable,” while Iran’s senior security figure Ali Larijani confirmed that discussions were advancing toward a potential framework.

Relations between the two countries remain strained. Trump has repeatedly warned that the US could take military action over Iran’s nuclear program and its violent response to recent anti-government protests. Iranian officials, in turn, have vowed to respond swiftly and forcefully to any attack, whether on land or at sea. Iran is preparing to launch a two-day naval drill involving live ammunition in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping corridor. Roughly 20% of the world’s traded oil flows through the narrow passage, which at its tightest point is just 33km wide. Tehran has previously threatened to block the strait if it comes under attack.

The US has warned Iran against what it called “reckless or unsafe conduct” near American forces. As part of its military buildup, Washington deployed the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to the region, with US Central Command confirming operations in the Arabian Sea. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticised the US stance, accusing Washington of trying to dictate how Iranian forces should conduct exercises in what he called Iran’s own territory.

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Tensions rose further after two deadly explosions struck Iran on Saturday. In the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, a blast killed one person and injured 14 others. Authorities attributed the incident to a gas leak, dismissing online claims that a senior Revolutionary Guards naval commander had been targeted. Another explosion in Ahvaz, in the southwest, left at least four people dead. Officials again cited a gas leak as the cause, according to Iran’s Tehran Times.

Earlier this week, Trump said he had issued Tehran two conditions to avoid US military action: halting its nuclear ambitions and ending the killing of protesters. Human Rights Activists News Agency, based in the US, reports that more than 6,300 people have been killed since unrest erupted in late December, with investigations ongoing into thousands more deaths. Meanwhile, the Norway-based Iran Human Rights group warned the final death toll could surpass 25,000.

Demonstrators told the BBC that the violence used by security forces was unprecedented in their experience. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected the protesters’ claims, accusing them of attacking police, the Revolutionary Guards, and public institutions such as banks and mosques. According to the Tasnim news agency, Khamenei said what he described as a “coup” had been defeated.