Ali Larijani said efforts to agree on a negotiating framework were making progress amid concerns over U.S. naval deployments in the Gulf.

Iran’s top security official says talks with the United States are making progress, even as Iran’s foreign minister again accuses Washington of heightening tensions between the two countries.

“Unlike the artificial media atmosphere of war, progress is being made in the formation of a negotiating structure,” Ali Larijani, chairman of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said in a social media post on Saturday.

Larijani’s post did not provide further details on the framework of the alleged talks.

Tensions have been rising between Iran and the United States for weeks, with U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly threatening to attack the country over a crackdown on recent anti-government protests and pushing for limits on Iran’s nuclear program.

The Trump administration has also deployed a naval “armada” to Iran, led by the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, fueling fears of a possible military confrontation.

Senior Iranian leaders said they willing to negotiate with Washingtonbut only if Trump stops threatening to attack the country.

Earlier this week, Trump said U.S. ships sent to Iran were prepared to “use violence if necessary” if Iran refused to sit down and negotiate over its nuclear program.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) also warned Iran Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Friday planned to hold a two-day naval exercise in the Strait of Hormuz, a Gulf sea lane crucial to global trade.

“Any unsafe and unprofessional behavior near U.S. forces, regional partners, or commercial vessels increases the risk of collision, escalation, and instability,” Central Command said in a statement. statement.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi fired back on Saturday, posting on social media that U.S. forces operating off Iran’s coast “are now trying to decide how our powerful armed forces should conduct target training on their own turf.”

“CENTCOM also requires the military forces of countries listed as ‘terrorist organizations’ by the US government to show ‘professionalism’ while recognizing that the ‘terrorist organization’ has the right to conduct military exercises!” Araghchi wrote.

USA Designated as Islamic Revolutionary Guard CorpsIn 2019, during Trump’s first term, an elite branch of Iran’s military was designated a “terrorist” organization.

Araghchi added that “the presence of external forces in our region has always had the exact opposite effect of what is claimed: promoting escalation rather than de-escalation”.

Al Jazeera’s Tohid Assadi reported from the Iranian capital Tehran that the situation remains “quite fragile” due to the U.S. military buildup in the region.

However, he said Saturday’s statement by Iranian security official Larijani about progress in negotiating efforts was a “positive” sign.

“Diplomatic (efforts) are ongoing,” Assadi said, noting that senior Iranian officials have held talks with allies in recent days to prevent a confrontation between Washington and Tehran.

Qatar’s foreign ministry said Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani met Larajani in Tehran on Saturday to discuss “efforts to ease tensions in the region.”

Sheikh Mohammed reiterated Qatar’s “support for all efforts aimed at easing tensions and achieving peaceful solutions to enhance security and stability in the region,” the foreign ministry said of the talks. statement.

“He also stressed the need to work together to save the people of the region from escalating the situation and continue to coordinate with brotherly and friendly countries to resolve differences through diplomatic means,” the statement added.