Plans for renewed nuclear talks between the United States and Iran are at risk of collapse following a disagreement over the location and structure of the negotiations, according to U.S. officials cited by Axios.
The talks had been scheduled for Friday in Istanbul, with other Middle Eastern countries participating as observers. However, Iranian officials informed Washington on Tuesday that they wanted the meeting moved to Oman and limited to a bilateral format focused exclusively on nuclear issues. U.S. officials said Washington rejected those demands on Wednesday.
A senior U.S. official told Axios that Iran responded by walking away from the talks. “We told them it is this or nothing, and they said, ‘Ok, then nothing,’” the official said.
Dispute Over the Agenda
According to Axios, the original plan for the Istanbul meeting involved two parallel tracks. One would consist of direct talks between U.S. and Iranian representatives on a possible nuclear deal. The second would involve multilateral discussions on broader issues, including Iran’s missile program, its support for regional proxy groups, and human rights concerns related to the violent crackdown on protesters.
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Iran’s request to change both the venue and the format appeared aimed at narrowing the agenda. U.S. officials said they considered the proposal to relocate the talks but ultimately decided to reject it, signaling that the agreed framework was not open for renegotiation.
One U.S. official told Axios that Washington did not want to repeat previous negotiation models. “We didn’t want to be flexible here because if there is a deal it has to be real,” the official said.
Rising Tensions
The breakdown comes amid increasingly blunt warnings from U.S. officials. A senior official told Axios that Washington wants to reach a meaningful agreement quickly, adding that failure to do so would prompt consideration of “other options,” an apparent reference to President Donald Trump’s repeated threats of military action.
A second U.S. official said there was now “a good chance the talks won’t happen at all this week,” citing Tehran’s refusal to return to the original format and the lack of progress in previous discussions.
The Iranian regime’s mission to the United Nations did not respond to Axios’s request for comment.
Regional Diplomacy Continues
Despite the stalled talks with Tehran, U.S. engagement in the region is continuing. Axios reported that White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law and adviser, are expected to travel to Qatar for discussions with the country’s prime minister on Iran-related issues.
However, U.S. officials said the two are currently expected to return to the United States afterward, rather than traveling on to meet Iranian representatives.
Outlook
U.S. officials told Axios that Washington remains open to talks if Iran agrees to the original framework and location. At the same time, they expressed skepticism that a breakthrough is possible under current conditions.
“We are not naive about the Iranians,” one U.S. official said. “If there is a real conversation to have we will have it but we are not going to waste our time.”
For now, a dispute over logistics rather than substance has placed the next phase of U.S.-Iran nuclear diplomacy in doubt.
