President Donald Trump said Thursday he is seeking "direct talks" with Iran to ease tensions surrounding its nuclear program, even as his recent warnings of military action drew swift condemnation from Russia, which called any such threats "illegal and unacceptable."
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said, "I think it'll be better if we have direct talks. I think it goes faster and you understand the other side a lot better than if you go to intermediators." He added, "They wanted to use intermediators. I don't think that's necessarily true anymore. I think they're concerned; I think they feel vulnerable."
Trump's comments come days after Tehran reportedly rejected his proposal for talks, conveyed through Oman. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said, "We don't avoid talks; it's the breach of promises that has caused issues for us so far. They must prove that they can build trust," according to the Associated Press.
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have escalated following the collapse of indirect diplomacy and increased threats of direct conflict. On Sunday, Trump said in an interview with NBC, "If they don't make a deal, there will be bombing," and floated the possibility of imposing secondary sanctions on countries doing business with Iran. "There's a chance that if they don't make a deal, that I will do secondary tariffs on them like I did four years ago," he added.
Iran has continued to expand its nuclear activity, enriching uranium to 60%-near weapons-grade levels-and accumulating enough material to build six nuclear weapons, according to a UN atomic agency report cited by Fox News Digital.
Russia responded sharply to the prospect of U.S. airstrikes, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stating, "The use of military force by Iran's opponents in the context of the settlement is illegal and unacceptable." She added, "Threats from outside to bomb Iran's nuclear infrastructure facilities will inevitably lead to an irreversible global catastrophe."
Moscow reiterated its support for Iran's right to peaceful nuclear energy and called for diplomatic solutions. "These threats are simply unacceptable," Zakharova said, as quoted by Reuters.
Abbas Araghchi, Iran's Foreign Minister, posted on X: "Diplomatic engagement worked in the past and can still work, BUT, it should be clear to all that there is-by definition-no such thing as a 'military option' let alone a 'military solution.'"
Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation, echoed the need for dialogue, writing on X: "There is a window for diplomacy to reach an agreement on Iran's nuclear program that provides for a civilian program and precludes the acquisition of nuclear weapons. It is vital that an agreement is reached before the window closes."
Rebekah Koffler, a former DIA intelligence officer specializing in Russian strategy, said Moscow's response is part of its broader diplomatic posture. "Russia and Iran are not natural allies. They share a very turbulent history and there's plenty of distrust," Koffler told Fox News Digital. "Putin is angling to serve as a broker between the Trump administration and the Iranian government on the nuclear issue."
