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Iran President Signals “Fair and Equitable” Talks as U.S. Downs Shahed Drone, Trump Weighs Larger Strike

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  • In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks in a meeting, in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026.
    Image: Newsweek
    In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks in a meeting, in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. Source Full size
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  • The drone was "aggressively" approaching the USS Abraham Lincoln, a spokesman said (file photo)
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    The drone was "aggressively" approaching the USS Abraham Lincoln, a spokesman said (file photo) (US Navy via Reuters) Source Full size
  • Iran is due to hold live fire naval drills in the Strait of Hormuz
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    Iran is due to hold live fire naval drills in the Strait of Hormuz (EPA) Source Full size
  • U.S. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One on January 27, 2026 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.
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  • This handout image from the U.S. Navy shows an EA-18G Growler landing on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Indian Ocean on Jan. 23, 2026. (Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Daniel Kimmelman/U.S. Navy via AP)
    Image: Newsweek
    This handout image from the U.S. Navy shows an EA-18G Growler landing on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Indian Ocean on Jan. 23, 2026. (Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Daniel Kimmelman/U.S. Navy via AP) Source Full size
  • An undated image shared by Iranian state news agency Tasnim with its report about the alleged deployment of 1,000 drones on January 29, 2026.
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    An undated image shared by Iranian state news agency Tasnim with its report about the alleged deployment of 1,000 drones on January 29, 2026. Source Full size
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  • A woman walks past an anti-US billboard installed on a building at the Enqelab Square in Tehran on January 26, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images)
    Image: Newsweek
    A woman walks past an anti-US billboard installed on a building at the Enqelab Square in Tehran on January 26, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images) Source Full size
  • The drone was "aggressively" approaching the USS Abraham Lincoln, a spokesman said (file photo)
    Image: BBC
    The drone was "aggressively" approaching the USS Abraham Lincoln, a spokesman said (file photo) (US Navy via Reuters) Source Full size
  • Iran is due to hold live fire naval drills in the Strait of Hormuz
    Image: BBC
    Iran is due to hold live fire naval drills in the Strait of Hormuz (EPA) Source Full size
  • This handout image from the U.S. Navy shows an EA-18G Growler landing on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Indian Ocean on Jan. 23, 2026. (Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Daniel Kimmelman/U.S. Navy via AP)
    Image: Newsweek
    This handout image from the U.S. Navy shows an EA-18G Growler landing on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Indian Ocean on Jan. 23, 2026. (Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Daniel Kimmelman/U.S. Navy via AP) Source Full size
  • In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks in a meeting, in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026.
    Image: Newsweek
    In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks in a meeting, in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. Source Full size
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  • A woman walks past an anti-US billboard installed on a building at the Enqelab Square in Tehran on January 26, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images)
    Image: Newsweek
    A woman walks past an anti-US billboard installed on a building at the Enqelab Square in Tehran on January 26, 2026. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images) Source Full size
  • An undated image shared by Iranian state news agency Tasnim with its report about the alleged deployment of 1,000 drones on January 29, 2026.
    Image: Newsweek
    An undated image shared by Iranian state news agency Tasnim with its report about the alleged deployment of 1,000 drones on January 29, 2026. Source Full size
  • U.S. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One on January 27, 2026 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.
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Negotiation Overture After Nationwide Protest Crackdown On 3 February 2026 President Ebrahim Raisi ordered Foreign Minister Hossein Amiri Mousavi to pursue “fair and equitable” talks with the United States, marking Tehran’s first explicit invitation for dialogue after the December‑2025 protests that killed thousands [1][2]. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei publicly backed the move, a reversal from his earlier dismissal of negotiations [1][2]. Reformist leader Masoud Pezeshkian was also cited as gaining Khamenei’s support for the diplomatic shift [2][9].

U.S. Carrier Intercepts Iranian Shahed UAV in Arabian Sea An F‑35C launched from the USS Abraham Lincoln shot down an Iranian Shahed‑139 drone that approached the carrier about 500 miles off Iran’s southern coast on 3 February 2026; no U.S. personnel or equipment were harmed [3][4][5][6]. Hours later IRGC fast‑attack boats and a Mohajer drone attempted to board the U.S.–flagged tanker Stena Imperative in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting the destroyer USS McFaul to escort the vessel safely [3][4][5][6]. Iranian media claimed the UAV was conducting routine surveillance and lost contact after transmitting images [3][5][6].

Envoy Steve Witkoff to Pursue Talks Amid Venue Uncertainty White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed special envoy Steve Witkoff would travel to Turkey later that week to arrange negotiations, and that the meetings remain on schedule despite the drone incident [1][2][3][5][6]. Regional foreign ministers from Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been invited, while Turkey and Oman are both being considered as possible hosts [1][2][5]. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said talks could begin soon but warned against using the venue as a media pretext [1][3][6].

U.S. Military Buildup and Trump’s “Far Worse” Strike Threat President Donald Trump added Iran’s nuclear program to his negotiation demands and warned that any failure to reach a deal could trigger a “far worse” strike than the June 2025 bombing of three Iranian nuclear sites [1][4][12][13][14][15]. The Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, now operating in the Arabian Sea, includes three guided‑missile destroyers, multiple littoral combat ships and a full complement of F‑35C, F/A‑18E and EA‑18G aircraft [4][12][13]. Additional THAAD and Patriot batteries were positioned at Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base, and a multiday combat‑power exercise began in the region [12][13][14].

Conflicting Details on Drone Type and Leadership Attribution While U.S. officials consistently identified the downed UAV as a Shahed‑139, Newsweek reported Iranian sources describing it as a Shahed‑129, and Tasnim News Agency claimed the drone was on a legal surveillance mission [3][5][6]. Some reports attribute the negotiation initiative to President Raisi, whereas others emphasize reformist leader Masoud Pezeshkian’s role in urging talks, reflecting divergent editorial focus [1][2][9]. These discrepancies highlight the fluidity of information emerging from both sides of the crisis [3][5][9].

Sources

Timeline

June 2025 – The United States and Israel bomb three Iranian nuclear sites during a 12‑day war, sharply raising nuclear tensions in the region. [6]

Dec 28, 2025 – Nationwide protests erupt in Iran after the rial collapses, prompting a violent crackdown that later kills thousands of demonstrators. [23]

Jan 21, 2026 – Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi warns Tehran will use “everything it has” if attacked, while the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group transits the Strait of Malacca toward the Indian Ocean. [23]

Jan 24, 2026 – Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei tells state media that any U.S. attack will trigger a regional war, and Iran schedules a two‑day live‑fire naval drill in the Strait of Hormuz for Jan 31‑Feb 1. [9][11]

Jan 26, 2026 – The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group arrives in the Indian Ocean, positioning the carrier and three destroyers outside the Arabian Sea as a “just in case” deterrent. [26][19]

Jan 27, 2026 – Tehran hangs a giant billboard in Enghelab Square depicting a blood‑stained U.S. carrier with the caption “If you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind.” [17][27]

Jan 27, 2026 – President Donald Trump declares a “massive armada” is moving toward Iran, larger than the force sent to Venezuela, and says the ships are positioned “just in case.” [18]

Jan 28, 2026 – Trump posts on Truth Social that Iran faces “far worse” strikes if it does not comply, while U.S. Central Command plans a multi‑day combat‑air‑power exercise in the region. [15][16]

Jan 29, 2026 – Iran announces deployment of 1,000 strategic drones across its armed forces as the United States conducts readiness drills across CENTCOM. [13]

Jan 29, 2026 – The European Union prepares to list the IRGC as a terrorist organization in response to the deadly protest crackdown. [14]

Jan 30, 2026 – The United States expands its Middle‑East buildup, installing THAAD and Patriot batteries at Al Udeid Air Base and rotating additional F‑35, F‑15E, and support aircraft to the theater. [4]

Jan 31, 2026 – Iran carries out the announced live‑fire drill in the Strait of Hormuz, intersecting the traffic‑separation scheme and prompting a CENTCOM warning against unsafe behavior near U.S. forces. [11][12]

Feb 1, 2026 – Khamenei repeats that a U.S. attack would spark a regional war, while the USS Abraham Lincoln operates in the Arabian Sea as part of a force buildup. [2][9]

Feb 3, 2026 – A U.S. F‑35C from the USS Abraham Lincoln shoots down an aggressively approaching Iranian Shahed‑139 drone 500 mi off Iran’s coast; no U.S. personnel or equipment are harmed. [1][7][8]

Feb 3, 2026 – IRGC fast‑boat units and a Mohajer drone harass the U.S.–flagged tanker Stena Imperative in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting the destroyer USS McFaul to escort the vessel safely. [3][7][8]

Feb 3, 2026 – Diplomatic talks slated for later in the week hit a snag as Tehran asks to move negotiations to Oman or Turkey, limit participants, and focus solely on the nuclear program. [3][7][8]

Feb 4, 2026 – President Ebrahim Raisi orders the foreign minister to pursue “fair and equitable” negotiations with the United States, marking Tehran’s first clear overture after the crackdown. [6][29]

Feb 4, 2026 – White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirms special envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Turkey (or possibly Oman) to seek talks, noting the negotiations remain on schedule despite the drone incident. [1][6]

Mid‑Feb 2026 (expected) – U.S., Iranian, and Gulf foreign ministers are invited to negotiate in Turkey (or Oman), with the venue still undecided, as both sides keep diplomatic channels open. [6][29]

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