Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the start of nuclear talks with the United States, local media said on Monday (February 2, 2026), after U.S. leader Donald Trump said he was hopeful of a deal to avert military action against the Islamic republic.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the start of nuclear talks with the United States, local media said on Monday, after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was hopeful of a deal to avert military action against the Islamic republic.

Following the Iranian authorities’ deadly response to anti-government protests that peaked last month, Mr. Trump has threatened military action and ordered the dispatch of an aircraft carrier group to West Asia.

“President Pezeshkian has ordered the opening of talks with the United States,” the news agency Fars reported on Monday. “Iran and the United States will hold talks on the nuclear file,” Fars said, without specifying a date.

Iran said earlier on Monday it was working on a method and framework for negotiations that would be ready in the coming days.

The Kremlin said on ​Monday (February 2, 2026) that Russia was still ‌trying to ​de-escalate tensions around Iran, and that it had long ago offered its services to process or store Iran’s enriched uranium.

Asked if ​Russia was discussing ⁠with Iran and the United States the possibility of taking ​Iranian enriched ⁠uranium, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: “This topic has been on the agenda for ‌a long time.”

“Russia has ‌been offering its services for quite ‍a long time as a possible option that ‍would lead to the removal of certain irritants for a number of countries,” Mr. Peskov said.

“Right now, Russia is continuing its efforts, continuing ⁠its contacts with all interested parties, and maintains ​its readiness to de-escalate tensions ⁠around Iran to the best of its ability,” he said.

Air India said in a statement on Thursday (January 15, 2026) that flights overflying Iran may lead to delays as they are using an alternative route due to closure of Iran’s airspace, following tensions in Iran and anti-government protest over the economic crisis.

“Due to the emerging situation in Iran, the subsequent closure of its airspace, and in view of the safety of our passengers, Air India flights overflying the region are now using an alternative routing, which may lead to delays,” the airline said in its statement.

Protests sparked by traders’ strike over hyperinflation and the falling currency have spread nationwide and turned violent in Iran at the beginning of January. About 2,000 people have so far been killed in protests across Iran, an Iranian official said on Tuesday (January 13, 2026). 

It also added that some Air India flights where currently rerouting is not possible are being cancelled.

It has requested passengers to check the status of their flights on Air India’s website.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Wednesday (January 14, 2026) spoke to Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and discussed the current unrest in Iran as well as the growing regional tensions in West Asia.

The conversation took place hours after the Ministry of External Affairs “strongly advised” Indian citizens to avoid travelling to Iran “until further notice”.

At the same time, the Embassy of India in Tehran urged Indian nationals and persons of Indian origin to leave the country by any available means of transport, including commercial airlines, and asked their India-based family members to register them on the embassy helpline page.