Turkey plans to host high-level talks between the US and Iran on Friday aimed at de-escalating tensions between the two countries that have been heightened since the protests in the Islamic Republic and threats from President Donald Trump.
The summit in Istanbul would be attended by US envoy Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Bloomberg reported. Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan expects some regional powers to join too.
The talks would mark the first public meeting between Iranian and US officials since a recent surge in tensions, with Trump threatening Tehran with military action if it fails to reach an agreement to curb its nuclear program.
The US has dispatched naval assets to the region, raising the spectre of another war after last year’s US-Israeli attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
What we know of the Istanbul talks between the US and Iran
A regional official quoted by Reuters said that the priority of talks between Iran and the United States this week in Istanbul is to avoid any conflict and de-escalate tensions between the two sides, adding that a group of regional powers were also invited.
{{/usCountry}}A regional official quoted by Reuters said that the priority of talks between Iran and the United States this week in Istanbul is to avoid any conflict and de-escalate tensions between the two sides, adding that a group of regional powers were also invited.
{{/usCountry}}Some of the countries invited to the talks at the foreign ministers' level included Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates.
The official said that the format of the meetings remained unclear, but that the "main meeting" would be on Friday and that it was important to start dialogue between the parties to avoid further escalation.
The New York Times earlier reported that a meeting between US and Iranian officials would be held in Istanbul later this week with the participation of some Middle Eastern countries.
Iranian sources told Reuters last week that Trump had demanded three conditions for resumption of talks: Zero enrichment of uranium in Iran, limits on Tehran's ballistic missile programme and ending its support for regional proxies.
Iran has long rejected all three demands as unacceptable infringements of its sovereignty, but two Iranian officials told Reuters its clerical rulers saw the ballistic missile programme, rather than uranium enrichment, as the bigger obstacle.
Witkoff is expected to arrive in Israel on Tuesday for discussions with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his top security officials.