Amid US President Donald Trump’s recent threats to Iran, officials from the two countries are expected to meet and hold talks in Turkiye on February 6, AFP reported, citing an Arab official.
The announcement comes days after Tehran called for nuclear talks to resume, with Washington warning of consequences if no deal is reached. Diplomatic efforts have now intensified as both sides seek to avert a potential military conflict.
According to a Bloomberg report, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the opening of Tehran’s talks with Washington, which will be well “within the nuclear issue.”
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Negotiations ensured by the intervention of mediators
The talks in Turkiye are expected to include senior officials from both sides, including US Ambassador Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The two leaders will meet in Istanbul in a bid to revive diplomacy amid the long-running dispute over Iran’s nuclear program.
Reports indicate that potential talks between the two sides have been arranged following the efforts of several regional mediators, including those from Egypt, Oman, Qatar and Turkey. It is also believed that representatives of Saudi Arabia and Egypt are likely to be part of the talks.
Trump threatens Iran with warships
Earlier, the US president sent a fleet of warships towards Iran and also deployed additional warplanes to the region in a military build-up that bore striking resemblance to the mobilization before the invasion of Venezuela.
In response to Trump’s threats, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a warning on February 1 that any attack on Tehran could trigger a “regional war”. It has also previously threatened to retaliate against Israel and US bases in the region.
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Relations between Iran and the US are deteriorating
Once considered close allies, diplomatic relations between the two countries have soured over the past few decades, marked by disputes over the nuclear program and economic sanctions.
Tensions peaked in 2025 when Trump returned to the White House for a second term. In March, Trump sent a letter to Khamenei proposing new talks on a possible nuclear deal within 60 days. Iran’s supreme leader rejected Trump’s offer, citing that the US is not seeking negotiations and is rather imposing its demand on Tehran.
While talks began in Oman and Italy, they were later halted over uranium enrichment. Soon after, Israel launched a “preemptive” strike on Tehran, targeting its nuclear power plants and military facilities. Days later, the US deployed B-2 bombers to target key nuclear sites, including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. After the US strike, Trump claimed that Iran’s nuclear facilities had suffered a major blow, which Iranian authorities denied.
Tensions between Tehran and Washington escalated in December after dozens of protesters took to the streets to demand regime change after Iran’s Rial currency fell sharply on the market against the US dollar.
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With the rial falling to a record low and inflation above 40%, traders in Tehran staged a protest on December 28, expressing their anger at the crippling rise in the prices of everyday items such as cooking oil and meat. To make matters worse, sanctions over the country’s nuclear program have depressed an economy already weakened by government mismanagement and corruption.
At least 2,400 people were reportedly killed in the first two weeks of the protest. Following reports of protesters being killed, Trump threatened to intervene and also ordered “very strong action” if detained protesters were executed.
On January 13, Trump called on Iranians to continue their protests. In a post on Truth Social, he asked them to “take over your institutions” and “save the names of the killers.” He further added that “help is on the way” without giving any details.
Following his series of posts on Truth Social, Iranian authorities blamed Trump for the unrest in the country and accused him of orchestrating the protests.
Whether diplomatic efforts will help avert a potential conflict between Tehran and Washington will become clear on February 6.