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.
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.
