Tehran opens backchannel with Washington to “deescalate” tensions
Shafaq News– Tehran/ Washington
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi contacted White House Envoy Steve Witkoff over the weekend to ease tensions with Washington, Axios reported on Monday.
Citing two sources, Axios said the outreach aimed to “deescalate with the U.S., or at least buy more time,” marking what it called the first indication that a direct backchannel between Tehran and Washington remains active despite stalled nuclear negotiations and escalating rhetoric.
One source noted that Araghchi and Witkoff discussed the possibility of holding a meeting “in the coming days,” though the sources did not confirm whether the exchange took place by phone or text.
Both sides have yet to comment publicly.
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Iran had contacted Washington a day earlier and proposed negotiations over a nuclear deal. “We may meet with them. A meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening, before the meeting. … but a meeting is being set up,” he told reporters.
According to Axios, contacts between Witkoff and Araghchi began during nuclear talks last year and continued even after US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in June.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei confirmed today that the communication channel between both officials remains open, noting that Tehran and Washington also communicate through Swiss mediation.
Tensions between Iran and the United States have intensified following nationwide unrest that erupted on December 28, after the Iranian rial plunged to a record low of about 1.45 million per US dollar, fueling sharp rises in food prices and inflation. Tehran rejected characterizations of the unrest as protests, describing it instead as a “terrorist war against Iran” and accusing the United States and Israel of seeking to destabilize the country. Washington, meanwhile, warned Tehran against the use of lethal force against demonstrators, stressing that any killings would carry serious consequences—comments Iran described as interference in its internal affairs.
Read more: Iran’s protests between economic crisis and political contestation
