Iran and the United States are set to hold high-level talks in Istanbul on February 6 as efforts intensify to revive stalled nuclear negotiations. The meeting will bring together senior officials alongside key regional actors amid rising geopolitical tensions.
According to diplomats speaking to Reuters, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will meet in Istanbul on Friday, February 6, in a renewed attempt to revive nuclear negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
A regional diplomat said the talks will include bilateral, trilateral and multilateral formats, reflecting a broader diplomatic push to prevent further escalation.
Regional Actors Join the Process
The same diplomat noted that Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and several other countries will participate in the Istanbul talks, underscoring regional efforts to support diplomacy.
Iran’s Fars News Agency, citing a government official, reported that President Masoud Pezeshkian has instructed officials to initiate negotiations with the United States over Iran’s nuclear program.
Mixed Signals From Washington
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he remained optimistic about reaching an agreement but warned that “bad things could happen to Iran” if talks fail.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani said a negotiation framework had already been established, rejecting media speculation about an imminent military conflict.
Contrary to the war scenarios being promoted in the media, we are making progress on the structural arrangements for negotiations.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani
An Iranian official told Reuters that diplomacy is ongoing, but stressed that Washington must reduce its military presence in the region for talks to formally begin, adding: “The ball is now in Trump’s court.”
Russia Renews Uranium Proposal
Russia has also stepped in to support de-escalation efforts. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow has reiterated its offer to take Iran’s enriched uranium, convert it into fuel for civilian nuclear reactors and store it as part of a broader confidence-building measure.
However, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported that officials from the Supreme National Security Council remain opposed to sending enriched uranium abroad. Deputy Secretary Ali Bagheri Kani said the proposal would not be discussed in potential talks with Washington.
Escalating Tensions and Diplomatic Traffic
Diplomatic activity has intensified amid fears that Iran–US tensions could spill into a regional conflict. Trump sparked speculation in January by saying “help is on the way” following protests in Iran, comments that were widely interpreted as signaling possible military action.
The US later deployed the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln to the Middle East under CENTCOM’s area of responsibility. On January 28, Trump again urged Tehran to return to nuclear talks, warning that any future military action would be “far worse” than US strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards were expected to conduct naval drills in the Strait of Hormuz on February 1, but the exercise was subsequently canceled.
Türkiye Offers Facilitation Role
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that a US attack on Iran would trigger a regional war.
Meanwhile, diplomatic engagement between Ankara and Tehran has intensified. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met Araghchi on January 29, emphasizing the importance of returning to the negotiating table. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan followed up with a phone call to President Pezeshkian on January 30.
According to Türkiye’s Communications Directorate, Erdoğan told his Iranian counterpart that Ankara is ready to play a facilitating role between Iran and the United States. Erdoğan later met Araghchi in person during the Iranian minister’s visit to Türkiye.
