"US and Iran to Hold High-Level Talks on the 6th... Possibility of Nuclear Agreement Discussed"

Seeking Common Ground Amid U.S. Military Pressure

As speculation grows that a large-scale U.S. military operation against Iran may be imminent, following President Donald Trump's deployment of significant forces near Iran, reports have emerged that a high-level meeting between the United States and Iran will take place on the 6th (local time).

On February 2, U.S. online media outlet Axios reported, citing two sources and a U.S. official, that Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, is scheduled to meet with Abbas Araghchi, Iranian Foreign Minister, in Istanbul, T?rkiye, on the 6th to discuss the possibility of a nuclear agreement between the two countries.

Abbas Araghchi, Iranian Foreign Minister. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

Foreign ministers from T?rkiye, Qatar, Egypt, Oman, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan are also expected to attend the meeting.

If the meeting takes place, it will mark the first high-level talks since negotiations over Iran's nuclear weapons development repeatedly broke down, and since the "12-Day War" between Israel and Iran, which ended with a U.S. military surprise strike on Iranian nuclear facilities in June of last year.

An American official stated that the focus of the upcoming talks will be on preparing a comprehensive agreement that could prevent war. He also said that the Trump administration hopes Iran will be ready to make concessions and participate in the talks in good faith.

However, it remains uncertain whether the two sides will be able to reach an agreement. Another source described the meeting on the 6th as the "best-case scenario," emphasizing that nothing is confirmed until the talks actually take place.

The Trump administration has continued to pressure Iran by threatening military action and insisting that a comprehensive agreement is needed to address not only Iran's nuclear development, but also its missile program and the issue of pro-Iranian proxy forces in the Middle East. In contrast, Iran maintains that only the nuclear issue should be subject to negotiation.

Minister Araghchi stated after a meeting with Hakan Fidan, T?rkiye's Foreign Minister, in Istanbul on January 30 that "Iran's defense capabilities and missiles cannot be subjects of negotiation."

Axios explained that the upcoming talks are the result of diplomatic efforts over the past few days by T?rkiye, Egypt, and Qatar. On this day, the foreign ministers of T?rkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt spoke again with Minister Araghchi to discuss the possibility of the talks.

Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency reported, citing sources, that the Iranian president has instructed the start of nuclear negotiations with the United States. Axios also reported that Minister Araghchi stated in a speech that Iran is prepared for diplomacy.

On February 1, President Trump said that while he does not rule out the possibility of a military operation against Iran, he "hopes to reach an agreement with Iran."

Nevertheless, the Trump administration continues to mention the possibility of military action against Iran as a form of pressure. Pete Hegseth, U.S. Secretary of Defense (Department of War), stated, "Iran will not be allowed to possess nuclear weapons capability. Therefore, they can either negotiate on that issue, or we may have other options (military action). That is the reason for the existence of the Department of War."

When asked about the possibility of military action, Secretary Hegseth added, "The President does not want to go down that path, and neither do I, but our job is to be prepared. And of course, we are fully prepared," emphasizing, "We will be watching. Now, it is up to Iran."

Meanwhile, before meeting with Iran, Special Envoy Witkoff is scheduled to visit Israel on this day to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir on the 3rd.

Axios reported that Chief of Staff Zamir recently met with Dan Caine, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, to share Israel's defense and attack plans in the event of war with Iran.

Special Envoy Witkoff will then travel to Abu Dhabi, UAE, on the 4th and 5th to attend a trilateral meeting between the United States, Russia, and Ukraine. This trilateral meeting was originally scheduled for this day but has been postponed.