Reuters reports that Ali Khamenei has given 'military readiness orders'; warning to regional countries

Reuters news agency reports that a 'senior Iranian official' has told the media that Tehran, while opposing the U.S. President's request for direct talks about its nuclear program, is willing to continue indirect negotiations with the United States through Oman. The official, who wished to remain anonymous, stated on Sunday, April 6, that 'indirect talks provide an opportunity to assess the seriousness of the U.S. in finding a political solution.' According to him, the Islamic Republic has also warned countries hosting U.S. military bases, including Iraq, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar, Turkey, and Bahrain, that any support for a potential U.S. attack, including the use of their airspace or territory, will be considered a hostile act and will have 'severe consequences.' The official stated that the Supreme Leader has put the country's armed forces on high alert. Tensions have escalated following threats from Donald Trump, the U.S. President, that Iran must agree to a new deal regarding its nuclear program or it will be 'bombed'; especially as wars in Gaza and Lebanon, airstrikes in Yemen, regime change in Syria, and conflicts between Israel and Iran continue. Concerns about the expansion of conflict to the entire Persian Gulf region, which plays a significant role in global oil exports, have increased. Iran has stated that it is willing to negotiate about its nuclear program, but only if there is no threat. Tehran has also emphasized that its missile program is outside the scope of negotiations. The U.S. President stated on April 3 that he believes the Islamic Republic of Iran wants to engage in direct talks with the U.S. and that Tehran feels vulnerable. The Israeli Prime Minister's office: Netanyahu and Trump will discuss the 'Iran threat.' Spokespersons for the governments of Iraq, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comments. The Turkish Foreign Ministry stated that it is not aware of such warnings but added that such messages may have been conveyed through other channels. On Wednesday, Iranian state media reported that Kuwait assured Iran that it would not allow any aggressive action from its territory against other countries. Russia, an ally of Iran, stated on Thursday that U.S. military threats against the Islamic Republic are unacceptable and called for restraint on Friday. A 'second Iranian official' told Reuters on Sunday that Iran is trying to gain more support from Russia but is skeptical about Moscow's real commitment to its ally. He added that this depends on the nature of the relationship between Trump and Vladimir Putin, the Russian President. Meanwhile, on Sunday, Mohammad Baqeri, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic, regarding the threat of military attack on Iranian facilities, said: 'We have planned in such a way that if necessary, upon the issuance of the command' from the Supreme Leader, 'we will respond in the shortest possible time' and added that 'our response to any aggression against the borders and interests of the Islamic Republic of Iran will be crushing and irreparable.' Donald Trump has stated that he prefers to reach an agreement on Iran's nuclear program rather than engage in military confrontation and has announced that he wrote a letter to Ali Khamenei proposing dialogue. Mohammad Baqeri regarding the content of the response that the Islamic Republic gave to Trump's letter said that it stated, 'We are not the initiators of war; we will respond to any threat with all our might; we seek peace in the region; we do not seek weapons in the nuclear issue and pursue our nation's needs in nuclear matters; we will not engage in direct negotiations, but indirect negotiations are acceptable; you were the most unreliable and untrustworthy party in past negotiations, and therefore there is no trust in you.' The 'senior Iranian official' told Reuters on Sunday that the first round of indirect talks could involve mediation by Oman and the movement of representatives of that country between Iranian and American delegations. According to this report, 'Ali Khamenei has authorized Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi or his deputy, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, to participate in any negotiations in Muscat.' The Omani government spokesperson did not respond to Reuters' request for comment on this matter. However, the 'senior Iranian official' speaking to Reuters 'believes that there is about a two-month window to reach an agreement, as there are concerns that Israel may initiate an attack if negotiations are prolonged' or 'all international sanctions against Iran may suddenly and completely return to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.' Iran claims it does not intend to build nuclear weapons, but the International Atomic Energy Agency has warned that Iran has significantly increased uranium enrichment to 60%, which is close to the 90% required for nuclear weapons. Western countries say there is no necessity for uranium enrichment to this level in civilian programs, and no other country has achieved such a level of enrichment without building a nuclear bomb. Axios: Netanyahu sees little chance for an Iran-U.S. agreement and is going to Washington. Alireza Hajizadeh, commander of the Aerospace Force of the Revolutionary Guards, implicitly stated on Tuesday that U.S. bases in the region may be targeted in any conflict. Following the killing of Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of the Quds Force of the IRGC, in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad in January 2020, Iran targeted U.S. bases in Iraq. Meanwhile, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, is scheduled to meet with Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday, April 6, to discuss issues including Iran. A day earlier, Axios reported, citing its sources, that Mr. Netanyahu considers the likelihood of reaching a nuclear agreement between the U.S. and Iran to be 'very low' and wants to discuss with the U.S. President the possibility of attacking Iran's nuclear facilities if diplomacy fails. Bloomberg reported on Saturday that Israel is skeptical about potential negotiations between the U.S. and Iran 'but while preparing its military for a possible attack, it is careful not to openly oppose Trump.'