Russia offered to mediate between United States and Iran while Washington-aided peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv are set to resume in Abu Dhabi from Sunday.
Iran-US tensions LIVE updates: United States President Donald Trump appeared confident on Friday (local time) that Iran would prefer making a deal than face military action by America. “I can say this, they do want to make a deal,” he said while talking to reporters in the White House. Trump’s remarks came even as Iran said on Friday that its missile and defence capabilities would “never” find their way on the negotiating table….Read More
The US President also said that he has given Iran a deadline to begin talks on its nuclear as well as missile program, however, he did not mention what the deadline was. Giving an idea about the escalation of tensions between the two countries, Trump said that they have a “large armada” going towards Iran.
“We have a large armada, flotilla, call it whatever you want, heading toward Iran right now,” Trump said as he referred to a US naval carrier group in waters off Iran, reported news agency AFP.
“Hopefully we’ll make a deal. If we do make a deal, that’s good. If we don’t make a deal, we’ll see what happens,” he added.
Iran official meets Putin
Amid the ongoing tensions with the United States, Iran’s secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani, its top security body, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday in Moscow.
While it is not known what the two leaders discussed, AFP reported that Russia has offered to play the role of a mediator between the two nations.
Trump administration imposes sanctions on Iran’s interior minister
The Trump administration accused Iran’s interior minister Eskandar Momeni of repressing nationwide protests across the country and imposed sanctions against him. According to the Trump administration, it was Momeni who oversaw Iran’s law enforcement agencies who are responsible for the deaths of thousands of peaceful protestors across the country.
What caused Iran-US tensions to escalate
While tensions between the United States and Iran have been on the edge since nationwide protests hit the latter against the current regime, which reportedly led to thousands of deaths due to action by Tehran’s security forces, the more recent escalations happened after US President Donald Trump threatened to attack the Islamic Republic and also ordered a US aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East.
What started as Trump’s aim to curb the crackdown on nationwide protests has now become his ambition to strike a new nuclear deal with Iran.
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Jan 31, 2026 9:01:25 AM IST
Iran-US tensions LIVE updates: US military destroyer docks at Israel’s Eilat port
Iran-US tensions LIVE updates: A US Navy destroyer was docked at the Israeli port of Eilat, an Israeli media report said on Friday, citing the military. The development comes amid tensions between Washington and Iran. The report said that the arrival of the destroyer at the southern port on the Gulf of Aqaba, near Israel’s borders with Egypt and Jordan, was pre-planned and part of ongoing cooperation between the US and Israeli militaries.
Jan 31, 2026 8:48:12 AM IST
Iran-US tensions LIVE updates: Trump repeats claim that he convinced Iran to not execute protestors
Iran-US tensions LIVE updates: United States President Donald Trump on Friday renewed his claim of convincing Iran to not mass execute people protesting against the Islamic regime.
“They were going to hang 837 people. And I told them, ‘if you do it, you’re going to pay a price like nobody’s ever paid before.’ And they pulled back,” Trump said, reported Bloomberg.
“I appreciated that a lot of people are being killed, so we’ll see what happens. I can say this, they do want to make a deal.”
Jan 31, 2026 8:34:42 AM IST
Iran-US tensions LIVE updates: UK PM Keir Starmer says working with allies to block Iran’s nuclear ambitions
Iran-US tensions LIVE updates: UK PM Keir Starmer said on Friday that the UK was working with allies to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. The British prime minister made the remark when he was asked whether he would support possible US strikes on Iran. “The goal, or the aim, here is that Iran shouldn’t be able to develop nuclear weapons and that is hugely important,” Starmer told BBC.
Jan 31, 2026 8:27:18 AM IST
Iran-US tensions LIVE updates: Iran’s defence council chief says ‘prepared for advance scenarios’
Iran-US tensions LIVE updates: Amid escalating tensions with the United States, which has sent an “armada” towards Iran, the middle-eastern country’s defence council head Ali Shamkhani said on Friday that Iran was ready to face “more advanced scenarios” than just fighting in the sea.
“We are not limiting the geography of confrontation to the sea alone and have prepared ourselves for broader and more advanced scenarios,” he said, according to Tasnim news agency.
Jan 31, 2026 8:21:58 AM IST
Iran-US tensions LIVE updates: Iran says ‘as ready for war’ as it is ready of negotiations
Iran-US tensions LIVE updates: Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that his country was “as ready for war” as it was for negotiations with the United States. He also accused Israel of enabling and encouraging the US to attack Iran and added that any military strike could lead to a wider conflict.
Referring to the 12-day war with Israel last year, in which US was also eventually involved, Aragchi said that Iran is “even more prepared than before the 12-day war.”
Jan 31, 2026 8:11:24 AM IST
Iran-US tensions LIVE updates: Trump says US sending ‘large number of ships’ towards Iran
Iran-US tensions LIVE updates: United States President Donald Trump, who appeared confident on Friday that Iran would make a deal instead of facing military action, said that an “armada” is headed towards Iran and that the fleet exceeded the one sent to support the US operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro earlier this month.
“We’re now sending, actually, a larger number of ships to Iran, and hopefully we’ll make a deal,” Trump said.
Jan 31, 2026 8:07:17 AM IST
Iran-US tensions LIVE updates: Iran foreign minister says ‘ready to begin negotiations’ but on ‘equal footing’
Iran-US tensions LIVE updates: Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi hinted towards a de-escalation of tensions between his country and the US and said that Iran was “ready to begin negotiations” but only “if they take place on an equal footing”.
He also said that “Iran’s defensive and missile capabilities will never be subject to negotiation”. He added that there were no plans to meet with US officials on resuming talks, reported AFP.