U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are expected to meet Friday in Istanbul as Washington and Tehran explore a possible return to nuclear negotiations after months of stalled diplomacy.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are expected to meet Friday in Istanbul in what could mark the first direct engagement between Washington and Tehran since negotiations collapsed last year, according to multiple officials familiar with the planning.
Several Arab and Muslim nations are expected to send representatives to the meeting, which is intended to explore a framework for a possible nuclear agreement, two sources familiar with the discussions and a U.S. official told Axios. Another source described the planned talks as the “best-case scenario” after days of diplomatic efforts to bring both sides back to the negotiating table.
If the meeting proceeds, it would be the first encounter between U.S. and Iranian representatives since talks broke down last year and a 12-day conflict erupted in June. The timing also coincides with a significant U.S. military buildup in the Gulf, as President Donald Trump has argued that a rapid diplomatic agreement is the only alternative to military confrontation.
A U.S. administration source said the meeting in Turkey is designed to develop an agreement that could prevent further escalation, adding that the Trump administration hopes Iran will arrive prepared to make concessions. The planned talks follow recent mediation efforts by Turkey, Egypt, and Qatar, which have been working behind the scenes to revive diplomacy.
On Monday, the foreign ministers of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt held additional discussions with Araghchi regarding the proposed meeting. Iranian state media reported that President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered renewed negotiations with the Trump administration, signaling a potential shift in Tehran’s posture.
Araghchi said in a speech on Monday that Iran remains open to diplomatic engagement. “But diplomacy is incompatible with pressure, intimidation, and force. We hope that its results will soon become evident,” he said.
Despite the renewed momentum, a central disagreement remains unresolved. The Trump administration has insisted that any agreement must address Iran’s nuclear program, missile development, and regional proxy forces. Iran, however, has maintained that only nuclear-related issues are open for negotiation, leaving uncertainty over how Witkoff and Araghchi could bridge that divide.
Ahead of the anticipated Istanbul meeting, Witkoff is expected to travel to Israel on Monday and meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday at Netanyahu’s request. He is also scheduled to meet Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Eyal Zamir, who recently briefed U.S. military leaders on Israel’s planning for a potential conflict with Iran.
Witkoff will then travel to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates for trilateral talks involving Russia and Ukraine on Wednesday and Thursday. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is expected to participate in those discussions.
From Abu Dhabi, Witkoff and Kushner are set to travel to Qatar for talks on Iran with Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, before continuing on to Istanbul for the expected meeting with Araghchi on Friday. Foreign ministers from Turkey, Qatar, Egypt, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan are also planning to attend.
Trump said on Sunday that he remains hopeful for a deal, even as Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, warned that any U.S. attack could trigger a broader regional war.
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