Washington has quietly relayed messages to Tehran through multiple channels signaling readiness for direct talks, as regional mediators work to arrange a meeting between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian officials later this week, Channel 12 reports.
A senior US official familiar with the effort said the Trump administration’s outreach is genuine and not a pretext for military action. US officials acknowledge, however, that the outcome depends on whether Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei authorizes his diplomats to engage.
Turkey, Egypt, and Qatar are coordinating the diplomatic push after previously working with Washington on the Gaza ceasefire framework. Two regional sources said the three countries are trying to secure a venue, with Ankara under consideration, and are aligning their efforts with both sides. “It’s progressing. We’re doing our best,” said a senior official from one of the mediating states.
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President Donald Trump, who has ordered a substantial US military buildup in the Gulf as a contingency, told reporters he still prefers a negotiated outcome. “I hope they negotiate something that’s acceptable … that they can reach a satisfactory agreement – without nuclear weapons and so on – they should do that. I don’t know if they will. But they’re talking to us. Talking to us seriously,” he said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told CNN that “friendly countries” are helping build trust and said the efforts are “fruitful.” He added, “I see the possibility of further talks if the American negotiating team acts in accordance with what President Trump said – to reach a fair and just agreement that ensures there are no nuclear weapons.”
Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani, visited Tehran on Saturday and met Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. Larijani later wrote on X that “there has been progress in formulating a framework for negotiations.”
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi spoke by phone with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, urging agreement to meet senior US officials, while Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan hosted Araghchi to discuss a possible agenda and location.
In Tehran, Khamenei struck a warning tone: “The Americans should know that if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war.”
Separately, Israel’s Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir met in Washington with Gen. Dan Caine to review defensive and offensive planning in the event of conflict. “We want both sides to understand these plans,” a senior American official said.