U.S. envoy and Iranian foreign minister may meet in Istanbul for nuclear talks, reports say

U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are expected to meet in Istanbul on Friday for renewed discussions on Iran’s nuclear programme, according to reporting by Axios.

Sources said preparations are underway, though the timing and format have not been finalised.

The potential meeting comes as the U.S. increases its military presence in the Gulf, with President Donald Trump warning Iran to return to talks while insisting that diplomacy remains possible. He said last week that Tehran was “seriously talking” after his announcement that a large naval deployment was heading towards the region.

Regional mediation has intensified in recent days, with Türkiye, Qatar and Egypt facilitating indirect contacts between Washington and Tehran. Araghchi travelled to Istanbul on Friday for meetings with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, although no official readout was issued.

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• Iran says path to nuclear deal remains open if trust restored with U.S.

Witkoff is expected to travel to Israel this week for consultations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, before heading to Abu Dhabi for Russia-Ukraine talks and then to Türkiye.

Iran has warned that any U.S. strike would provoke a rapid response, while Washington says diplomacy is still viable if Tehran engages constructively.

At this stage, no agenda or timeframe has been confirmed by either side.

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