Potential US-Iran nuclear talks face mixed signals amid rising tensions

CAIRO - Plans for potential US-Iran nuclear negotiations remain uncertain as reports of an upcoming meeting in Istanbul were questioned by Iranian officials, while both sides continue to exchange warnings and bolster military deployments amid rising regional tensions.

US President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi are reported to plan a meeting in Istanbul on Friday to discuss a potential nuclear deal and other issues, Axios cited a US official as saying on Monday.

But Iranian media later cast doubt on the reports. Tasnim, citing Iranian officials, said details of the talks have not been finalized. "The potential negotiations are still at a preliminary stage, and once the overall framework and structure of the talks take shape, subsequent stages and further details will be finalized," the agency reported.

Earlier Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran was carefully studying the structure of potential negotiations with Washington, with a focus on lifting sanctions and advancing national interests.

He emphasized that sanctions relief remains a core priority. Baghaei cited Araghchi as saying the nuclear issue has long been used as a pretext for conflict against Iran, and added that Iran's primary demand in any talks is "the removal of unjust sanctions."

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has reportedly ordered the start of negotiations with the United States on the nuclear issue, according to semi-official Fars News Agency, citing an unnamed government source. Fars also reported that talks would likely take place in Turkiye in the coming days.

Trump on Sunday warned that if Iran fails to reach a nuclear deal with Washington, the United States would assess whether Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's claim that an attack could spark a regional war is accurate. Araghchi told CNN the same day that a "just, fair, and equitable" nuclear deal with the United States remains achievable if Washington abandons coercive policies.

The developments come amid heightened US-Iran tensions. The Trump administration deployed an aircraft carrier strike group and multiple warships to the Middle East in late January, with the US leader continuing to send warnings to Tehran.

Also on Monday, the Israeli military announced that Israeli and US naval forces conducted a joint exercise in the Red Sea a day earlier.

The drill is part of the ongoing strategic coordination between the Israeli Navy and the US 5th Fleet, which oversees maritime operations in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Gulf of Oman, the Israeli military added. Officials characterized the maneuvers as a routine effort to strengthen regional security and interoperability between the two partners.

In response to the military buildup, Iran's Armed Forces' Chief of Staff Abdolrahim Mousavi warned that Tehran's response to "the slightest mistake" by the United States could trigger a regional war, according to official news agency IRNA. He said Iran cannot be "blockaded" and any attack would have severe consequences for US forces and their allies.

Washington has said any deal with Iran must include a ban on uranium enrichment, the removal of already enriched material, limits on long-range missiles, and a rollback of support for regional proxies. Analysts said such conditions would be "very difficult" for Iran to accept.

A senior Iranian security official told Fars on Monday that Tehran does not plan to send enriched nuclear materials abroad, after Russia and Turkiye suggested they could host or process Iran's uranium to ease tensions.

Regional diplomacy is also active. Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi assured his Iranian counterpart that Jordan would not allow its territory or airspace to be used for attacks on Iran. "Jordan will not be a battleground in any regional conflict or a launching pad for any military action against Iran," the ministry said. Similar assurances have come from other regional countries, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

Iranian authorities on Monday said they arrested four foreigners of undisclosed nationalities for "participation in riots" in Tehran province. State television reported that homemade stun grenades were found during searches of suspects' belongings. Authorities have accused Israel and the United States of involvement in the unrest.

The office of President Pezeshkian released a list Sunday of 2,986 people killed in the unrest, compiled from data provided by the Iranian Legal Medicine Organization. The total death toll, including unidentified victims, stands at 3,117. The statement emphasized a commitment to transparency and accountability, pledging that no bereaved family would be left unheard.

Weeks of protests over the sharp depreciation of the rial swept cities across Iran from late December to January. Initially peaceful, the demonstrations escalated into clashes that caused casualties and damage to public property, including mosques, government buildings, and banks. Tehran has blamed the unrest on the United States and Israel.