US and Iran in Active Negotiations After Series of Maritime Incidents

US President Donald Trump has said that the US is now in active negotiations with Iran, saying Tehran appears keen to avoid another military confrontation like the “Midnight Hammer" strike. His remarks came hours after US Central Command said American forces shot down an Iranian drone approaching the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, followed by a separate episode in which two IRGC gunboats and a Mohajer drone threatened to board a US-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. The shift toward diplomacy marks a notable change from Trump’s posture over the past month, during which he repeatedly warned of powerful new strikes, spoke of an “armada" heading toward West Asia and insisted Iran must “make a deal." At the same time, Iranian leaders have said they are prepared to consider “fair and equitable negotiations," while key regional capitals — from Turkey to Egypt and Saudi Arabia — have intensified contacts aimed at preventing a wider conflict. Trump’s Sudden Shift Speaking in the Oval Office, the US President said, “They’re all over it, but they are negotiating . They’d like to do something, and we’ll see if something is gonna be done. They had a chance to do something a while ago, and it didn’t work out, and we did Midnight Hammer. I don’t think they want that happening again, but they would like to negotiate. We are negotiating with them right now, yes." This statement marked a striking change from the fluctuating tone Trump has adopted since late December. Only weeks ago, he accused Iran of “building up its nuclear weapons" and warned that any future strikes would be “more powerful than the last time." Meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago, he declared, “We’ll knock the hell out of them. But, hopefully, that’s not happening." As protests erupted inside Iran in early January, Trump vowed support for demonstrators and said the United States was “locked and loaded." Days later, he posed with a “Make Iran Great Again" hat, threatening that the US would “come to the rescue" if Iranian forces harmed peaceful protesters. However, by mid-January, Trump’s stance began shifting again. He initially suggested that the “killing in Iran is stopping" and that there was “no plan for executions," before returning to warnings about the movement of US vessels, saying “we have a lot of ships going that direction, just in case". His rhetoric escalated again on 28 January, when he warned that a US “armada like with Venezuela, is ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfil its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary". He also threatened that Tehran needs to “make a deal" and vowed that it would have “NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS". By the time he confirmed ongoing negotiations on Wednesday, Trump had publicly oscillated between threats, reassurances and renewed military signalling. What Happened At Sea Ahead Of The Planned Talks US Central Command on Tuesday said American forces shot down an Iranian drone that “aggressively approached" the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea. Capt. Tim Hawkins said the unmanned aircraft continued to fly toward the carrier “despite de-escalatory measures" taken by US forces, prompting an F-35C fighter jet to destroy it. He added that no American personnel were harmed and no equipment was damaged. Iran’s state-affiliated Tasnim News Agency reported that contact had been lost with an IRGC drone during what it described as a “reconnaissance, surveillance and filming" mission over international waters. The outlet quoted an informed source saying the drone had already transmitted its footage before contact was lost and that the cause was being investigated. Later the same day, two IRGC gunboats and a Mohajer drone approached a US-flagged chemical tanker, the M/V Stena Imperative, in the Strait of Hormuz. Hawkins said the gunboats made three high-speed passes and warned over radio that they intended to board and seize the vessel while it was operating in international waters. The USS McFaul destroyer and US Air Force assets moved in to escort the tanker away. Hawkins described the incidents as examples of Iranian “unprofessionalism and aggressive behaviour" that increased the risk of miscalculation for commercial and military vessels in the area. These developments came as Washington and Tehran were preparing for diplomatic talks later in the week, with both sides confirming that discussions were being organised despite the maritime incidents. Diplomatic Efforts Diplomatic contacts intensified across several regional capitals in the days leading up to the planned talks. Iran’s deputy foreign minister Abbas Araghchi travelled to Istanbul, where he met Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for discussions on reducing tensions. Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said its foreign minister had spoken separately with Araghchi and US special envoy Steve Witkoff to “work toward achieving calm, in order to avoid the region slipping into new cycles of instability." Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian that the Kingdom “will not allow its airspace or territory to be used for any military actions against Iran or for any attacks from any party, regardless of their origin." The United Arab Emirates conveyed a similar position. Shahram Akbarzadeh, a professor in Middle East and Central Asian politics at Australia’s Deakin University, told Al Jazeera that Tehran is relying on regional powers to advise Trump against any attack on Iran. “They hope that building pressure on Trump would change his mind," Akbarzadeh said. “A concerted effort by regional powers could make an impression on Trump, especially if it is made clear to him that war is bad for business." China said that “any military adventurism will only push the region into an abyss of unpredictability," while the Kremlin said a US strike on Iran would “destabilise the Middle East." How Did Iran Respond To The Possibility Of Conflict? Iran’s leadership publicly warned that any US attack would trigger a regional war . Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said, “The Americans should know if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war." He added that the Iranian nation would not be intimidated by talk of warships or aircraft. Khamenei further emphasised, “We are not the initiators of war. We do not seek to oppress anyone. We do not seek to attack any country. However, anyone who seeks to attack or cause harm will face a decisive blow from the Iranian nation." Ali Shamkhani, a senior Khamenei adviser, said, “Any military action by the United States, from any location and at any level, will be considered the start of a war. The response will be immediate, comprehensive and unprecedented. The aggressor, the heart of Tel Aviv and all those who support the aggressor will be targeted." Yet even as these warnings continued, Iranian leaders began signalling openness to dialogue. President Pezeshkian said he had instructed his foreign minister to pursue “fair and equitable negotiations." Foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said discussions were expected within days. Shamkhani later told broadcaster Al Mayadeen that talks would begin indirectly and focus initially on nuclear issues, with direct engagement only if progress appeared possible. Why Trump Pulled Back From Confrontation Trump’s shift came after he was presented with military options to strike Iran but “came away unimpressed," according to The Guardian . There are also reports that some US allies in West Asia feared such strikes could lead to a major regional conflagration. These concerns emerged alongside Iran’s repeated warnings that any US attack would trigger a regional war.