Top US and Iranian officials are due to meet to hold talks on a possible nuclear deal, while Iran's military chief threatened that "no American would be safe" if the US conducted strikes on Iran, according to media reports on Monday.
The Trump administration's Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are expected to meet in Istanbul on Friday to discuss a possible nuclear deal, two sources with knowledge of the plans told Axios's Barak Ravid on Monday. A third source stated that a meeting on Friday was the "best case scenario," while cautioning that nothing is final until it happens.
This was later corroborated by an anonymous US official, cited by Reuters as saying that Trump has been "calling for them [Iran] to make a deal. The meeting is to hear what they have to say."
This follows reports from Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency, which stated earlier on Monday that potential negotiations between the two countries may take place in the next few days involving senior officials from both countries. Tasnim's report did not note a time or location of the meeting.
Tasnim, an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-linked outlet, also cited Iran's top military chief stating that "no American would be safe" if conflict broke out.
Meanwhile, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major-General Abdolrahim Mousavi, has rejected affirmations that Iran could be weakened by a naval blockade, among US invasion and bombing threats. The leader said that Tehran was geographically and strategically "impossible to encircle."
In a late-night visit to a military unit on Sunday, focused on assessing the readiness of Iranian armed force units, Mousavi declared that the Iranian nation "has stood firm from the past until today against the arrogant and aggressive nature of the United States and has forced it into repeated defeats, including in the recent complex, multi dimensional, and terrorist war, where they disrupted the enemy’s calculations," Tasnim reported.
He added, "Over these 47 years, the Iranian nation has repeatedly proven that Iran is not swallowable, and in the end, that stubborn and reckless entity that refuses to learn will be choked."
In addition, Mousavi asserted that Iran's response to any attack would be "decisive, crushing, regret-inducing." The Iranian general said that if an escalation starts, “no American will be safe,” promising to attack not only the US but also its allies.
"What the enemies of this nation, especially the US, must know is that the motivation of our armed forces to fight the enemy has never been as high as it is today. The blood vengeance of the thirteenth day remains, and the smallest mistake will give us a free hand to act," Mousavi said.
The Iranian general said that, after the Israel-Iran war in July 2025, the state revised its defense doctrine, shifting it to an aggressive response model, Tasnim reported.
Also on Monday, in a show of force, IRGC aerospace commanders declared that Iran's "war room" is active, with its forces ready for conflict with possible threats, Tasnim cited parliamentary spokesperson Ebrahim Rezaei as saying.
Rezaei, a spokesman for the parliament’s Commission on National Security and Foreign Policy, reportedly noted that the IRGC commander told lawmakers that Iran's intelligence is monitoring all of its adversaries' movements.
Iran lawmaker says nuclear, missile issues not up for talks
Separately, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, a senior lawmaker, said on Monday that Iran is not open to negotiations regarding its nuclear activities or missile capabilities, Iran International reported.
Boroujerdi noted, "Peaceful nuclear knowledge, like missile and drone capabilities, are red lines of the Islamic Republic and are not open to negotiation.”
Claiming that Iran has always been serious about negotiations, Boroujerdi reportedly said that the Islamic Republic remains open to talks on clear and logical terms.
Regarding nuclear developments, US Senator Tom Cotton said on Sunday that Iran should not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon, warning Tehran to take Trump's words into serious consideration.
“President Trump has been clear: Iran’s terrorist regime can never have a nuclear weapon,” Cotton said in a post on X/Twitter.
“The Ayatollahs are well-aware of our military’s capabilities and would be wise to take President Trump’s words seriously,” he added.
Meanwhile, as the US threat of attacking Iran remains a possibility, Iranian officials state that the Islamic Republic remains strong.
Iran says threats clash with diplomacy as it reviews talks with US
Tehran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, affirmed that Iran had learned from what he described as repeated US “bad faith” over the past decade, stressing that “threats are not compatible with diplomacy.”
Baghaei said that Iran remains committed to diplomacy to safeguard its stability, claiming that the Islamic Republic has been reviewing the "structure" of potential negotiations.
The foreign ministry spokesman explained that lifting sanctions remains a core priority for Iran and dismissed speculation over military drills.
Regarding a possible war with the United States, Baghaei played down concerns, “Do not worry at all.”
As the Iranian civil situation escalates into a harsh scenario for Iranians, state leaders discuss possible developments.
Iran FM steps up regional calls amid US threats
Araghchi recently spoke by phone with his counterparts in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey to discuss regional and international developments.
According to a report from Tasnim, the talks, held on Sunday, were held separately, focusing on each region's particularities.
The phone calls were part of a recent diplomatic effort from Araghchi to contact regional counterparts to exchange views on regional developments and US threats against Tehran.
In addition, Iran called in the ambassadors of all European countries that have embassies in Tehran to protest the European Union’s decision to label the IRGC a terrorist organization, according to foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei, Iran International reported.