Media: US-Iran nuclear talks planned for February 6

White House envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday (February 6) in Istanbul to discuss a potential nuclear deal, according to sources familiar with the planning.

While nothing is finalised, officials described Friday as the “best case scenario” for the talks, Caliber.Az reports via Axios.

This would mark the first direct engagement between U.S. and Iranian officials since the collapse of negotiations and the 12-day war in June 2025, highlighting the fragile but ongoing efforts to prevent a renewed military confrontation. The planned meeting comes after several days of diplomacy led by Türkiye, Egypt, and Qatar.

On February 2, the foreign ministers of Türkiye and Egypt spoke with Araghchi to discuss the potential talks, signalling strong regional pressure for negotiations. Iranian state media reported that President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered renewed discussions with the Trump administration.

Araghchi stressed Iran’s willingness to pursue diplomacy but warned that “diplomacy is incompatible with pressure, intimidation, and force. We hope that its results will soon become evident.”

The Trump administration has maintained that any agreement must address not only Iran’s nuclear program but also its missile program and regional proxy activity. Iran, however, insists that only its nuclear program is open for negotiation, leaving a significant gap between the two sides that remains unresolved.

The talks come amid a significant U.S. military buildup in the Gulf. President Trump has argued that a swift deal is the only way to avert military conflict, intensifying pressure on both sides to find common ground.

Before the Istanbul meeting, Witkoff is expected to visit Israel to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and IDF Chief of Staff Gen. Eyal Zamir, who recently returned from Washington after briefing U.S. military officials on Israel’s defensive and offensive capabilities in a potential conflict scenario with Iran.

Following his Israel visit, Witkoff will travel to Abu Dhabi for trilateral peace talks involving Russia and Ukraine on February 4 and February 5 before heading to Türkiye for the meeting with Araghchi.

By Aghakazim Guliyev