This combination of pictures shows US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff on the left, and Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the right — EVELYN HOCKSTEIN, Amer HILABI
White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are expected to meet on Friday in Istanbul together with representatives of several Arab and Muslim countries to discuss a possible nuclear deal, according to two sources with knowledge and a U.S. official.
A fourth source familiar with the planning said a meeting on Friday was “the best case scenario” but cautioned that nothing is final until it happens.
Why it matters: This would be the first meeting between U.S. and Iranian officials since the collapse of the negotiations and the 12-day war last June. It comes during a massive U.S. military buildup in the Gulf, and with President Trump insisting the only way to avoid military conflict is a swift deal.
- The U.S. official said the summit in Istanbul will focus on trying to put together a package deal that prevents war. The official stressed the Trump administration hopes Iran will come to the meeting ready to make the needed compromises.
The planned meeting is the result of diplomatic efforts by Turkey, Egypt and Qatar over the last several days.
- On Monday, the foreign ministers of Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt spoke again to Araghchi to discuss the possible meeting.
- Iranian state media also reported that President Masoud Pezeshkianhad ordered renewed negotiations with the Trump administration.
- Araghchi said in a speech on Monday that Iran is ready for diplomacy. “But diplomacy is incompatible with pressure, intimidation, and force. We hope that its results will soon become evident,” he said.
- The Trump administration’s longstanding demand that any deal cover Iran’s nuclear program, missile program, and regional proxies is incompatible with the Iranian position that only the nuclear issue is on the table.
- It’s not yet clear how Witkoff and Araghchi will attempt to navigate that divide.
- Witkoff is expected to travel to Israel on Monday and meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, an Israeli official said.
- The Israeli official noted that the meeting comes at Netanyahu’s request.
- Witkoff will also meet with IDF Chief of Staff Gen. Eyal Zamir, who just returned from a rare trip to Washington. Zamir met Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine to brief him on Israel’s defensive and offensive plans in a scenario of war with Iran.
- Witkoff will then travel to Abu Dhabi for trilateral peace talks with Russia and Ukraine on Wednesday and Thursday. President Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner is also expected to participate.
- Witkoff and Kushner are expected to travel on Thursday to Qatar for a meeting on Iran with Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani.
- On Friday, Witkoff and Kushner will meet Araghchi in Istanbul.
- The foreign ministers of Turkey, Qatar, Egypt, Oman, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are also expected to attend the summit, according the the U.S. official.
AXIOS
