Trump Greenlights Effort to Negotiate With Tehran

Jan. 13—Sources close to the White House have confirmed that President Donald Trump has greenlighted efforts led by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to negotiate a peaceful settlement of the current crisis with Iran. These sources say that this follows a direct communication to Witkoff from the Iranian government offering to negotiate with Washington what would include an agreement on ending Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions in exchange for the lifting of sanctions on the Iranian economy. The Iranians, these sources report, acknowledged that the sanctions had caused dislocations and duress on Iran, which were the main subject of recent political unrest. The Iranians, the sources say, said that legitimate protests against economic conditions have been hijacked by “foreign” agents into “organized violence” against public and private property and civil authorities, who seek “regime change.”

Meanwhile, the situation remains tense, as Trump also approved a potential economic blockade of the Iranian economy, with nations who trade with Iran subject to 25% punitive tariffs in trade with the United States. By far, Iran’s main trading partner is China. While the order has been issued, it remains unclear when and how it will be enforced. Sources close to the White House report that Trump would prefer to wait to see the outcome of potential talks; they say that a deal could be made quickly if Iran comes off its position of demanding the right to maintain uranium enrichment facilities, and is willing to go with a “work around” discussed with Moscow, where the Russians will maintain and operate facilities that would be under an inspection regime.

Sanctions, Economic Collapse, and a Shift Toward the West

A source with decades of experience in the region said that the recent imposition of the so‑called “snap back” sanctions had exacerbated a collapsing economic condition, spiraling out of control, which included the collapse of the Iranian currency. This source said that it was noteworthy that Iran did not appeal to its fellow BRICS members Russia and China for economic assistance, which he said could have offered some relief. This the source attributed to a current in the Iranian leadership that wants to bring Iran into alignment with the West, and especially the United States, as a means to control Israeli aggression.

This source and others have maintained that the so‑called 12 Day War in the summer was not merely about Iran’s nuclear ambitions, but that it was a failed effort at regime change, conducted primarily by the Israelis and ordered by the Butcher of Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu. They say that it began with what was a decapitation strike intended to wipe out the Iranian leadership, including the President and his cabinet, including his chief negotiator with the United States, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, as well as the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and the military leadership. The strike on the civilian leadership failed, and the military leaders were quickly replaced.

Those strikes were supposed to be followed by civil disturbances run by Israeli agents inside Iran. Those demos either fizzled or never occurred, in part because many of the agents were arrested and as many as 500 were liquidated. An operation that was supposed to neutralize the 4.5‑million‑member Revolutionary Guard was also stopped through the arrest and liquidation of key leaders.

And later Trump famously blurted out that he personally had prevented the elimination of the Ayatollah.

Renewed Destabilization Efforts and Foreign Assets Inside Iran

So, the regime change operation failed. And, as the Iranians escalated their successful missile strike campaign against Israel, exposing the fraud of the so‑called Iron Dome protection of Israel, it was the Israelis, with their American allies, who called the Iranians to end the war.

Now, the regime change process has been put in motion again by the Israelis, with some assets in U.S. intelligence and the CIA, the source said. Iran, said the source, is literally littered with American and Israeli assets. The source reports that many of these migrated from Afghanistan when the Taliban took over—some 5 million “pro‑American” Afghanis entered Iran. The source estimated that there are in excess of 100,000 Israeli and American “assets” inside Iran. The Iranian security services have assembled lists of these, but obviously not all. They played a key role in providing information and running operations on the ground in the 12 Day War. And they are active once again in the demos.

The source thinks that for the present, they would have zero chance of proceeding, in that there is no dominant or prominent figure who could become the leader. The idea that the “young Shah”—the leading representative of the Pahlavi family—is that person is a “sick joke.” He has less than zero support, except in the Western media.

Israel’s Strategy: Destabilization and the Risk of Civil War

So, if there is no chance of replacing the regime, then what are the Israelis doing? “They are trying to destabilize Iran and create the conditions for a bloody civil war, between the Revolutionary Guard and the Army, with the civilians in the middle,” the source said. “Such a civil war would kill millions and send Iran hurtling back towards the Stone Age. That is Bibi’s real policy, but I don’t think that is what Trump wants, or at least it is not what he has said in the past.”

Then what should be done? “Exactly what the Iranians are apparently doing,” said the source. “Make a deal with Trump and Witkoff and do it quickly. Get the President off this insane kick that he can militarily intervene. Any military intervention merely promotes Bibi’s plan for chaos and death. The military will tell Trump this. He needs to listen to them and make the deal that Bibi does not want, but if struck, he cannot refuse. Push big development. Iran suffers from drought, even now. Go with the Oasis Plan for nuclear‑powered desalination plants. Be a hero to the Iranian people. Will it work? It could, but the clock is ticking.”

Trump’s “Big Stick” Rhetoric and Iran’s Response

Trump said that he wants to negotiate but he is going to continue to carry the “big stick” of military interventions and more sanctions. “The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” he told reporters on Air Force One on Jan. 11, reported AP and other media. Asked about Iran’s threats of retaliation, he said: “If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”

“I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump said. “Iran wants to negotiate... The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi delivered remarks to a meeting of foreign diplomats in Tehran, in which he condemned what PressTV characterized as the “U.S.- and Israeli‑fueled deadly violence” that has been waged by terrorist elements against Iranian civilians and security forces, asserting that no country brooks such an atrocity.

Araghchi identified a phase‑change in the protests that began Jan. 8, following the threat from Trump to militarily intervene in Iran if they kill protesters. Araghchi condemned Trump’s remarks as an instance of “outright interference in other countries’ affairs,” citing recordings of the riotous elements advising those receiving the arms to cause as many casualties among Iranian civilians and security personnel as possible, toward derailing protests.

He pointed out that the Islamic Republic was in possession of “numerous documents and instances of evidence indicating the U.S.’s and the Israeli regime’s involvement in this terrorist trend,” and also cited claims, now getting wide publicity in media outlets, of efforts by Israel to design an operation inside the Islamic Republic.

Araghchi cited former CIA Director Mike Pompeo as verifying earlier this month in a post on X that agents enlisted by the Israeli regime’s Mossad spy agency were actively involved in the riots. “This is an unequivocal admission that Mossad’s Persian‑speaking operatives are active on Iran’s streets,” Foreign Minister Araghchi said. “We pursue this involvement and hold those contributing to the fatalities with their instigation responsible,” he said, adding, “They should recognize their responsibility.”

“We recognize the rights of every protester, but no country tolerates arson against public property, terrorism, and directing live fire against its civilians and armed forces,” he insisted.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, in confirming the receipt of communications from Iran by Witkoff, noted Jan. 12 that there is a marked difference in tone between the private communications and the more bellicose and accusatory public statements from Tehran and said that the difference was being noted by the President.