Tehran: Iran is demanding that planned talks with the United States later this week be moved from Turkey to Oman and that discussions be limited strictly to nuclear issues, a regional source said on Tuesday, adding new uncertainty to already fragile diplomatic efforts.
The talks had been scheduled for Friday in Istanbul, but Tehran now wants the meeting relocated and narrowed to bilateral negotiations focused solely on Iran’s nuclear program. The U.S., by contrast, has sought broader talks that would also cover Iran’s ballistic missile program and its regional allies.
The reported shift in Iran’s position comes amid rising tensions in the Middle East, as the United States increases its military presence in the region. On Tuesday, the U.S. military said it shot down an Iranian drone that had “aggressively” approached the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, an incident first reported by Reuters.
Regional powers have been pressing for a diplomatic solution to the standoff, which has included mutual threats of air strikes and raised fears of a wider conflict.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who warned on Monday that “bad things” could happen if no deal is reached, told reporters at the White House on Tuesday that negotiations with Iran were underway, though he declined to provide details or confirm the venue.
“They want to change the format, they want to change the scope,” the regional diplomat said, adding that Iran was seeking talks exclusively on the nuclear file.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that discussions with Iran were still expected to take place later this week.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson said consultations over the venue were ongoing, according to Iran’s Nour News. The spokesperson said preparations were continuing and that Turkey, Oman and several other countries had expressed willingness to host the talks.
A source familiar with the matter said earlier that U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi were expected to participate, along with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Ministers from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates had also been expected to attend. However, the regional source said Tehran now favors direct bilateral talks with Washington only.
The U.S. military buildup follows Iran’s violent crackdown on anti-government protests last month. While Trump ultimately stopped short of direct intervention, he has since demanded new nuclear concessions from Tehran and ordered additional naval forces to the region.
